Haunted Memories
by Dreams2Paper11
Summary: Danny is mentally scarred from an incident that took place when he was fourteen. No, it wasn't the ultimate enemy. Worse. Now, sixteen, how will he deal with the Teen Titans and Jump City? Can anyone save him now? Or will his past destroy him?
1. Chapter 1: And so it Begins

**Hi guys! Welcome to my very first crossover fanfiction! Yay! Hoorah! I figured out how to post this within, like, twenty minutes! Yes! Um, in case you haven't noticed yet, I stink at technology. Really badly. In regards to the story, feel free to PM me or review. Yes, do review! I'm not going to beg for it like some people, but remember, reviews give me inspiration to keep writing. Criticism is welcome as long as it doesn't just insult my style or me or anything like that. Ask questions if you want. Oh, and please, please, PLEASE keep the reviews clean, okay? No cussing. So anyway, please enjoy!**

Introduction

The funny thing about rejection is how there's nothing funny about it all. Yeah, I know, how cliché. Do I care? No, not really.  
When you're fourteen years old, everything in your life seems concrete. Unshakable. Honest. True. Everything is real. You feel like you have the ability to decide if something is fake or not, like friendship, or love. Everything is perfectly fine.  
The only real worry you have is that test tomorrow that you haven't studied for yet, or maybe a project's due date is looming above you and you have no idea what to do. Maybe there's a lot of stupid stuff going on at school or in your social life or whatever, and you feel lost.

Been there. Done that. Yeah, it sucks, but would you rather be fighting for your life every day, hardly able to get a wink of sleep, forced to constantly lie to your parents for fear of their safety?

Or maybe even your own?

Tell me; how important does that test seem now? As kids, we're expected to go to school, get good grades, behave nicely, go on to college, get a degree, become successful in life, get married, settle down, start a family, and then watch them repeat the cycle all over again. How bland. How predictable. How redundant, occurring all throughout our generations.

And then there are those who aren't so lucky to have such a predictable life. There are those who start off well, maybe get fantastic scores in school and get a degree, but maybe they can't find a job. Maybe they haven't found that special someone yet. They're like flower buds ready to bloom but still sealed shut.

Ew. That last sentence was terrible.

Ahem, anyway, my point is, sometimes life is great and sometimes it sucks. Sometimes, it should be great but isn't. Sometimes it doesn't deserve to be great, yet it still is.

For me, life just mostly sucks.

Now, you might be thinking, _Yeah? Heh, your life can't be worse than mine._

Heck to the yeah, it can. I've been electrified (numerous times), grown more than one head (how gross is that?), transformed into a freak against my will (yeah, that's probably what started it all), shot at (yes, with high-tech futuristic guns), chased by the government (again, with freaky future weapons and equipment), beaten to the point of death (well, complete death), taken to the future (yep, you heard right), and, as if that wasn't enough, I've been cut open like an experiment, vivisected, healed, then vivisected again the next day. My so-called friends, and my family have rejected me.

In case you aren't that smart and haven't pieced it together from the earlier statements, I'm not exactly what you might call normal. I guess I should explain. If you already know who I am and what happened to get me started on this sad, sad little life, you might want to skip ahead a few paragraphs.

Fourteen. Freshman year. I was young, naive. Everything was perfect.

…Okay, okay, getting bullied everyday at school by the most popular guy in all of the attending grades isn't necessarily perfect, but it sure as heck beats anything after that one spring day.

Huh. You know, I've never really thought about the incident so deeply before. I just kind of accepted it and moved on. I was even kind of excited about it. I mean, how often is it that a teenager gets superhero powers?

Jack and Maddie Fenton (I've stopped referring to them as my parents a long time ago) were never normal. They had an insane, driving obsession with…ghosts. Paranormal beings. Unworldly creatures that haunt this plane. They spent hours researching them, formulating plans and theories and speculations about these entities. Heck, I think they were obsessed with them even in their college years. They built a myriad of inventions and weapons designed to hunt, contain, capture, or just basically harm any ghost if they ever caught one. Sadly, not a lot of their inventions worked. People in the neighborhood scoffed at them, mocked them openly, talked about them behind their backs, spread awful rumors. And because I, Danny Fenton, was their son, or used to be, anyway, I got the backlash from it too.

School was a nightmare. Every day I was jeered at, taunted, teased, ridiculed relentlessly just because of my parent's…um…job. Hobby. Whatever.

Teachers at Casper High (Casper. How ironic. You know, 'Casper the Friendly Ghost'? Oh whatever, never mind) always turned a blind eye to the losers being bullied. Favoritism was a powerful ideal in that school. For example, jock stuffs geek into locker. Teacher comes out and sees incident. Jock gets off easy because of his big football game tomorrow that will decide if they make the playoffs or not. Geek gets a detention for disrupting class and damaging school property.

See what I mean?

To sum it up, I was always bullied; always a loser, and nobody really cared. In fact, the only thing that kept me positive was my two best friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. Sam was a gothic, ultra-recyclo vegetarian with strong beliefs about individuality and equality. She was kind and fair, and strong (boy did her punches hurt), and she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She cared about me deeply and was very protective.

Or so I thought.

Tucker was a techno-geek, a complete wiz when it came to anything computer-related. He basically married his PDA. He could hack anything. He was meek and totally struck out when it came to girls, but when push comes to shove, he was loyal and clear-headed.

I repeat, or so I thought.

They were there when, that one fateful day, I happened to get electrocuted by my parent's recent invention, the Fenton Ghost Portal. It was supposed to break the barrier between the human world and the Ghost Zone, which was the place where ghosts lived. Or, uh, existed. Whatever.

It was a big but not really surprising disappointment when it didn't work. And I, being the good, kind-hearted guy I am, decided to attempt to cheer my "parents" up and fix the stupid machine. Really, I have no idea why I wanted to fix it for them anyway. What could I have done? Though Jack and Maddie were fueled by their obsession with ghosts, they were both brilliant scientists (Maddie more so than Jack, who was obsessed with fudge as much as he was with ghosts). What could I, being a high B student, come up with to fix it that my parents hadn't already thought of?

Nevertheless, I pulled on a black and white HAZMAT suit, peeled off the sticker of my dad's face, plastered with a cheesy grin, and stepped inside the machine, cautiously stepping forward over the thick cables that lay strewn haphazardly all over the floor of the machine.

I glanced over my shoulder at my "friends" to see them give me an encouraging grin, and, in that split second, stumbled over the cords and nearly fell forward. My hand flew out in an attempt to grab at the wall of the contraption to steady myself. Instead, I hit the ON button.

Yeah, that's right. Jack built the ON switch _inside_ the actual machine.

Everything after that is kind of hard to remember. I recall a loud, dangerous hum as the machine powered up, a bright green glow emanating from the far end of the tunnel-like machine, and then-pain. Nothing but pure, agonizing, unbelievable pain.

Long after the incident had taken place, I forced my lazy butt into gear and worked out what the chances of me living through the accident had been. They equaled about 1/1231 chance. Yet, I did survive. Well, mostly. I guess after the incident you could say I was half dead or whatever, if that makes sense. You see, I was blasted with pure ectoplasm, the element ghosts are made out of, and the ectoplasm kept me alive while the electricity tried to kill me. That's why it took so long for the shock to end. Two forces, one trying to kill me while the other tried to preserve, at war with one another. Eventually, the electricity began to wear out and the machine turned off to conserve energy, but there was a heavy price. As a result of ectoplasm being introduced to my DNA through shock treatment, my DNA was spliced in half and the missing section was replaced with ectoplasm. I was turned into a halfa, a half-human and half ghost hybrid.

Jack and Maddie hated ghosts. They hated them with a passion. I was so terrified. What if when I told my parents what happened, they rejected me? What if they hated me for it?

Yeah, I was right.

If you want the full story about my slow ascension into becoming a hero, then I'm sure there are other stories that would be glad to tell you. However, for the sake of time, I'll just skip all that.

The beginning of the end for me began exactly one year after the incident. That was the day everything secure in my life broke and crashed to the ground.

Chapter 1: Two years after Portal Incident

The soft caress of fresh night air playing across my face brings me to wakefulness. I stretch leisurely and let out a long breath, relaxing my muscles. They were a little sore from staying stationary on a tree limb for hours, and I crack my neck to work out the kinks, eyes still lightly closed. I'd actually slept well last night. It wasn't that I had a good dream. It was that I had no dreams. Really, a dreamless sleep is all I can ask for.

Otherwise, I had nightmares. Good dreams were a thing of the past.

Besides, what was there good to dream about anyway? I sigh, my eyelids twitching as I fight the urge to open them. Paranoia sucks. Right now, all I want to do is scan the perimeter of the area I have staked out, finish, and then scan it again feverishly. Paranoia gives you the feeling that someone is constantly watching you. Sometimes, it's saved my butt from being captured again and dragged back to _that_ place. Other times, it's just a nuisance that keeps me up well into the night. I guess you could even call me a creature of the night.

Wait. Who was it that said that before?

Oh yeah.

_Her._

Instantly, my body stiffens, and a deep growl slips out from between my lips. My fingers flex and the nails dig into the bark of the tree limb supporting me, tearing small gouges and furrows into the wood. _She's_ the reason I've been reduced to sleeping on a tree limb in some park every night, like a teenage hobo. Or, at least, she's partly the reason.

Doesn't matter. I still hate her for it.

I can't fight the urge to open my eyes anymore, and I quickly sit up, nearly losing my balance on the wide oak-tree limb. As soon as my eyelids pop open, my eyes are shifting, scanning everything in sight and assuring myself that nothing poses a threat. After my eyes finish raking the small clearing, scrutinizing every last detail for hidden traps, guns, or GiW agents, I do it again. You can never be too sure.

What can I say? Force of habit.

I slump and lean back against the tree bark, sighing. Jazz would have classified it as a case of severe paranoia. If she was here, with me, I mean. A small, sad smile graces my lips. Jazz was the only one who stood by me, when-

No. Don't think about it. No need to start off the day with a hallucination attack. That's the key. As long as I don't think about…what happened…the flashbacks and hallucinations don't come as often. Striving for something to busy my thoughts with, I balance myself on my knees, and then roll right off the branch, falling through the air some twenty-five feet. It's a good spot, that tree branch, because the height of my little nook is above the normal line of eyesight, even for a tall person. And it's amusing to see how people rarely ever look up.

The spot where I slept is actually a pretty good one. The branches of the oak tree are wide, probably about eight to twelve inches in diameter, and they sort of sprout out of the main trunk, pushing outward in different directions, forming a rough cradle. In the center, where all the branches join, there's a little flat space, which is where I sat/slept. Even better, it's the middle of summer and the branches curve downward, fully cloaked in green leaves, obscuring me from view, which is really useful. I hate it when people come up and try to talk to me. I guess you could say I'm kind of anti-social.

Mainly because its better for me and everyone else if no one knows I'm here.

The air rushing past my face as I fall banishes the last traces of sleep, and I smile slightly before I hit the ground, rolling smoothly onto one shoulder to disperse the momentum and protect myself from injury. A twig underneath my boot crunches and I freeze, my head snapping up and scanning the area once again, using my ghostly-enhanced vision to explore every single patch of ground. A few tense seconds pass. What if someone heard the twig break? What if there are GiW agents crawling though the undergrowth right now, ecto-snipers trained on me?

Spurred on by the thought, I throw myself into a somersault to the side, coming to a halt with one hand placed on the ground, the other raised in the air ready to form an ectoball, knees bent and already tense for rapid movement. With my heightened senses, I can easily hear my heartbeat drumming against my chest like a jackhammer. I widen my range, listening attentively, waiting for and dreading the sound of bullets whizzing through the air.

Silence.

Somewhere, a dove coos softly, heralding the dawn's arrival.

My tense, battle-trained position relaxes and I shake my head in dry amusement. "What are you thinking, stupid?" I say out loud, smacking myself in the face. "As if the GiW would attack you in the early morning. Oh no, they're more like the 'Let's wait until the most suspenseful hour at night to attack!' kind of people." I frown. "And Jack and Maddie would just burst in here, guns blazing, like usual."

Did I forget to mention that I have a bad habit of talking to myself?

An ache blossoms in my stomach and I wince, pressing a hand to it. "Ah, I'm hungry. Stupid human necessities." I bite my lip and plunge a hand into the pocket of my plain black hoodie, digging around. My hands touch a slip of folded up paper and I grin, pulling it out. It's a creased and worn twenty-dollar bill, with various stains covering the face. My stomach grumbles and I flinch again as a hunger pang hits me.

When was the last time I ate? Two days ago, I think, when I was at a diner somewhere in some state I can't even remember. Twenty dollars will buy me breakfast for, at the very least, three days, not including lunch and dinner, which I've learned to go without.

It's actually not that hard finding money when you're on the run. At least, not for a person like me, a seasoned fighter. There are so many thugs and scum and whatnot polluting the cities that it's easy to walk into an alley, act like a scared little victim, and then, BAM! When they least expect it, a quick uppercut to the jaw and they're seeing stars. Then you just reach into their pockets (disregarding all the drugs and cigarettes and whatever else that's bad for your lungs) and grab the cash. I like to think of it as a 'Steal from the rich (or in this case, thugs that want to beat you up) and give to the needy (me)' kind of thing.

Meh. The method's worked for me so far, nearly a year and a half.

I slip the bill back into my pocket and head out into the forest, stepping so silently it's like I'm walking on air, not the ground. Which, by the way, I can actually do that. But it takes up more energy than walking and I'm already tired.

Gradually, the trees begin to thin out and the amount of undergrowth lessens, and occasional little gravel footpaths pop up here and there. After about twenty minutes of walking, I move a low-hanging tree branch out of my way to reveal the middle of the park; a cleared area of neatly mown grass, long, squat benches strategically placed here and there in the shade of the trees, and a large water fountain that dominates the center.

Already, there are people occupying the space. A few early-risers in tracksuits or running gear warm up by the trailheads, and a married couple is pushing a stroller along a narrow paved path that cuts through the forest. I scowl. I find that people are annoying. But, then again, I'd take them over ghosts any day. Casually, I stride across the center of the little clearing, hands stuck deeply in the folds of my hoodie's pockets, looking for all the world like a bored teenager with nothing else to do but go for a walk in the park. As soon as I reach the fringes of the park's limits, though, the act drops and I shudder, ignoring the urge to hide myself in a hole somewhere and forget the world. Quickly, I walk through the park's entrance, briefly flashing to intangibility and invisibility in order to bypass the guard's little outpost and the lowered bar that prevents cars from entering the park without paying a fee. Too bad it isn't ghost-proof.

When the guardhouse is out of sight, I plunge inside my core and pull out my ghost half. A ring of whitish-blue light snaps into existence, encircling my waist, and quickly travels up and down, shifting my appearance as a wave of cool rolls over me. Instantly, a feeling of buoyant lightness spreads over my body and the temperature drops a few degrees. If I really wanted to, I could freeze the ground or make it cold enough to snow.

My ghost half has changed over the years, mainly so that I wouldn't be as easily recognized. First thing to go was the trademark HAZMAT suit. Yes, it was a classic. But it brought up too many painful memories and it was easily recognizable. Now, most of my outfit is dazzling white. Which is ironic, considering how most of the things my human half wears are black or gray or some other dismal color.

Now, when in my ghost half, I wear a completely white tunic and loose fitting white pants that tuck into, you guessed it, white, knee-high boots with green rectangular patches stretching around the higher parts of the shoe. A wide green bandage encircles my upper thigh on my right leg. My torso is also tightly wrapped in green bandages, which can be unwrapped from my chest and used to bind wounds. For medicinal purposes, they were pre-soaked in antiseptic. The cool thing is that the oddly colored gauze is actually from the ghost zone, along with the large oval emerald that pins my snow-white cloak in the center of my collarbone. You'd be surprised at the diversity of ghosts in the ghost zone. Some of them actually turned out to be the shades of dead craftspeople or artisans of great skill.

The white hood, rimmed with green, of my cloak is always pulled up. Always. I don't like to let people see my face, and the cloak casts the upper part of my head in shadow, only revealing my mouth. Of course, my glowing green eyes penetrate the darkness, but that's it. I've actually learned to control the brightness of the misty white aura that swirls around me, and I usually keep it dim around my face so that my silver-white hair doesn't shine through the shadow. My cape, connected to the hood of the cloak, is white on the inside and lined with emerald green on the outside. To be honest, my cape is probably my most favorite thing about my costume. Since the material it was made out of was created in the ghost zone, the hem of it flutters away and dissipates like smoke, which is totally awesome.

Just so I don't become too dependent on my ghost powers, I also picked up a weapon in the ghost zone. My options were rather limited, considering how I needed something light and easy to maneuver in a fight. I needed a weapon that could be moved lightning-fast and could penetrate most materials easily.

Naturally, I chose a dagger. The hilt of it is made up of black steel, with one large, oval ghost-zone emerald fixed into the pommel. Above that, there are small slivers of emeralds inlaid in the steel, until it reaches a point where black leather strips are wound around the handle for a better grip. The cross-guard is simple, made up of tempered black steel that curves down jaggedly at the ends. The blade itself is about a foot and a half long, forged of a special, rare material-ectoranium. Ectoranium is very painful to ghosts, which makes it a fantastic weapon to use when a ghost feels the occasional need to challenge me. My old, plain white gloves were taken and replaced with my new ones, which are coated with a special waterproof chemical that protects me from the effects of the blade. I carry my dagger in a special sheath that straps around my waist, made up of black leather.

I make sure that my dagger is secure in its sheath before I will myself upwards into the air and levitate a few inches off of the ground, cold mist curling off of my body and wreathing around my form like slightly transparent smoke. My face is dead-set and serious. I guess you might say that I suffer from split personalities. Sarcastic, quiet, and easily annoyed went to Danny Fenton. Cold, calculating, serious, and determined were pushed into Danny Phantom. When I'm in my Danny Fenton form, I'm usually kind of mood-swingy, bouncing between playful to angry in a matter of seconds. When I'm Danny Phantom mode, nothing usually matters except the goal I have fixed in my mind.

Such as getting to food, for example.

I angle my face upward and suddenly blast off silently into the air, my smoke-like cloak snapping and fluttering behind me. My hands lay straight against my sides, and my legs slowly bond and morph into a mist-like, ghostly tail that writhes and trails off into the air, dissipating at the end much like my cloak. When I'm about a thousand feet up, I halt my ascension, using my enhanced vision to rake the landscape for any signs of a food restaurant.

Right now, I was passing through a place called Jump City. It was clean and relatively safe enough. You know, when there aren't any villains challenging the Teen Titans, a group of teenage heroes that protect Jump. On one hand, I'm glad, because the attraction is mostly on them. No one will pay much attention to a ghostly-spectre just passing by, especially since I'm invisible most of the time. On the other hand, a deep bitterness towards them blackens my non-beating heart. How come their city puts up with the damages? How come the mayor of the city acknowledges it without so much as a single peep of complaint? How come the Titans were immediately pegged as heroes when they started their career, whereas I had to work myself nearly to full death to earn a single line of emotionless praise in the newspaper?

Ah well. Idiots mostly inhabited Amity Park, anyway.

The park I had been occupying was smack-dab in the middle of the town, shaped in a square a few miles wide. Jump was a large bay city. Around the park, which forms a splotch of green in the middle of the gray and silver of the surrounding skyscrapers and buildings, houses mostly bordered the forest. After that comes a layer of apartments, and after that is the stores, office buildings, and skyscrapers. That outer ring is probably where I will find a diner.

I fade into intangibility and invisibility, flying forward. The air now slides fluidly through my non-existent form, decreasing my air resistance and thus increasing my speed. I flicker into invisibility so as not to have someone call the Titans because they think they saw a strange UFO flying through the air. As unlikely as it is for someone to see me so high up, life has taught me not to take any chances.

Going at a speed of at least 200 mph, (I'm tired and hungry, so I didn't fly at top speed), I quickly pass over the inner ring of apartments and houses. Up so high, the air is thin and cold and fresh, chilled just to the point where it ached if you inhaled deeply. The weak sun is now above the horizon line, sending watery, pale yellow rays streaming to the earth. The sky is blue and cloudless, something I'm thankful for. If you've ever flown through a cloud, then you know what I mean. Getting drenched isn't on my to-do list.

My hood is pulled down hard over my face and my head is angled downwards so that the wind pins it to my forehead instead of blowing it back. Down, down below me, I entertain and distract myself from the hunger by watching daily life for everyone normal. If I concentrate, I can sharpen and focus my vision drastically, to the point where I can see the cracks in a sidewalk with ease.

I've always loved flying. It's probably the greatest perk of being half-ghost. I used to take _her_ out flying with me by holding onto her hand firmly, sharing intangibility so that the wind wouldn't buffet her face. She'd smile and blush slightly, shyly looking away from my eyes. Every touch, every time we brushed each other accidentally, every time she smiled-

Lies. All of it lies.

My eyes narrow and flare a brighter green in rage, and I momentarily lose control of my invisibility. My form flickers into view for a split second before I manage to banish the memories back to the darker recesses of my mind. Concentrating, I pull myself out of the visible spectrum once again.

_Don't think about it, Danny, _I mentally scold,_ having a mental breakdown a thousand feet up is never a good thing._ Hoping to distract myself before I fall into another relapse, I look down and renew my efforts to search for somewhere to eat. My eyes are instantly grabbed by a large billboard sign anchored on top of a low, two-story square building that reads "SHERRY'S DINER- Come in and eat!" in large, fancy print. My stomach churns angrily, wanting nourishment. I angle myself downwards, going into a complete free-fall just for the adrenalin-rush. My ectoplasmic-mixed blood now stirred and racing, I pull sharply out of my dive when I am a mere hundred feet above the roof of the place, instead hovering in midair, looking for a place to transform in secrecy.

My head jerks around as an employee, mid-teens and pimple-faced, opens the back door of the diner leading out to the back parking lot, a filled bag of trash slung over his shoulder. He staggers under the weight of his load, and I watch with cold amusement as he slowly makes his way to an alley parallel to the restaurant, where a large dumpster is situated. I wrinkle my nose distastefully. With my extremely heightened senses, the odor of rotting trash reaches me even from this far away. The boy awkwardly kicks open the lid of the dumpster, disturbing a cloud of flies, and struggles to lift the extremely filled bag over the lip it. With one last, final push, he sends the teetering bag balancing on the edge careening into the dumpster. He closes the lid with a bang and wipes his hands on his pants, (Ew?), satisfied.

As soon as the employee slams the door shut on his way back inside, I descend the last hundred feet and land lightly on the pavement of the alley, letting go of my intangibility and invisibility. Cautiously, I check to make sure that no one is nearby or watching before I will the rings of light to form. They comply immediately, bursting into existence and changing me back to plain old Danny Fenton. My cape disappears, along with my gloves and white boots. My torso changes to a black muscle shirt underneath a long-sleeved black hoodie. My white, loose fitting pants shift to dark blue skinny jeans tucked into formidable black combat boots. Fingerless black gloves now cover my hands. Even as I morph, I feel gravity return its hold on me, and an uncomfortable weight anchors me to the ground. I'm much lighter in my ghost form, and the change back to human always throws me off for a second.

Shaking it off, I stride through the alley and come out onto the sidewalk in front of the diner, acting nonchalant. Feigning boredom, I paint a mask of indifference on my difference as I push open the clean, rotating glass doors of the restaurant and enter the establishment.

It's very early in the morning, so the restaurant isn't very full. The diner consists of a white and red tile checkered floor, with booths lining the walls. In the back of the room, a white counter stretches across the diner, closing off the entrance to the kitchens and back rooms. Stools are placed every three feet or so next to the counter. A few corner booths are occupied. Men in business suits, rushing an early breakfast before they go to work, take most of them. I walk up to the counter silently, my boots not making any noise against the floor. The waitress manning the cash register is a homely-looking woman, probably around forty or fifty, with heavy makeup and droopy eyes. She doesn't look up as I near. I stop in front of the counter and cough quietly to get her attention. She jerks upright, placing a manicured hand over her heart. "Oh, my goodness!" She breathes, exhaling loudly and smiling brightly. "You startled me, young man."

I have that effect on a lot of people.

She reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out a notepad. "What can I get you today?" Her voice is deep and motherly, and a pang of longing fills me. How long has it been since my mother disowned me? A year and a half? Two?

"I'll take the eggs and ham breakfast combo," I say, my eyes roaming hungrily over the menu board hanging from the ceiling behind her, "with water as a drink, extra ice, please." She nods and I go to sit at a dark booth in the corner, facing the entrance with my back to the wall. This way, I can see who enters the building while the wall protects my back.

To entertain myself and make the wait pass faster, I play with the napkin wrapped around my silverware, thinking about my last training session. I've spent the last year and a half on the run mostly training. I need to be stronger. I have to be stronger. If I were, then they never would have been able to drag me off to _that _place. I wouldn't have gone down after that first bullet to the chest.

It's actually kind of funny, the amount of time you have on your hands when you're on the run. The main objectives are 1. Don't get caught (duh). 2. Find money. 3. Find shelter. 4. Train yourself.

When they had me captured at _that _place, they experimented and tortured me for the better part of a year. When they'd finally collected all of their data, the hours spent being split open and healed so that they could split me open again were replaced with training. I think they wanted to turn me into a type of weapon against ghosts. I followed a military-like schedule at that place. Wake up before the sun and go train for about three hours as a human to strengthen my endurance, agility, and speed. Next were the daily tests, and beatings if I resisted them. After that was more training, this time as my ghost counterpart.

Well, it was their mistake. If they hadn't trained me I probably never would have escaped that place. Don't get me wrong; life wasn't a luxurious training ground there. They tried to keep me from escaping by implanting a tracer chip in my arm that shocked me whenever I did something they didn't like.

Ugh. I wince at the memory and my left hand instinctually goes to my right, rubbing the area where the chip used to be. I still have the ugly scars. I was only able to get it out of my flesh when-

"Here you go, sir." The woman sets down a steaming plate of food in front of me. My stomach growls quietly at the sight of it and it's all I can do to keep myself from salivating. The lady whips out her notebook and pen, looking at me expectantly. "Will that be all for now, sir?"

"Yes, yes." I dismiss her quickly, fingers twitching to pick up the silverware and dig in. As soon as the lady turns on her high heels and strides away, I unwrap the silverware with a feverish intensity and plunge the fork into the scrambled eggs, covered in melted cheesy goodness. When the loaded fork enters my mouth its all I can do not to groan in pathetic delight at the amazing taste. It's torture, but I have to force myself to eat slowly and with quiet dignity, not just shoving the plate of food down my mouth like a wild animal. The breakfast comes on a big plate, half of which is taken up by the fluffy scrambled eggs covered in American cheese; the other mostly dominated by the slices of roasted ham. Four triangles of buttered, crispy toast are arranged artfully around the border of the plate.

It seems that too soon I'm mopping up the last bit of melted cheese stuck to the plate with a piece of toast, popping it into my mouth and chewing slowly. When I'm finished, I sit back with a satisfied sigh, just basking in the glorious sensation of not feeling hungry.

The waitress comes and picks up my plate, and I pay the bill, returning her smile as she collects the money. Inside though, I want to leave already. The room is starting to make me feel claustrophobic and the whitewashed walls aren't helping to keep the memory relapses at bay. I stand hurriedly, pulling down the sleeves of my hoodie nervously. I always keep the sleeves down. It hides the scars from the scalpels, needle insertions, and gashes when they took tissue samples.

Stepping outside, I inhale the fresh air deeply; glad to be out of the building. A small breeze stirs the clouds and plays with my raven-black hair. I've grown my hair out, it barely reaches my shoulders now, trailing down the nape of my neck, and a long spiky chunk flops in front of my left eye, preventing other people from seeing the long, ugly pink scar that slashes across the skin. It starts a little bit above my eyebrow, skipping the eye, and trails a little bit into my cheek. I'm lucky I'm not blind in that eye. It's a good thing I closed my eyelid when the ectoranium bullet grazed my face.

I can thank Maddie for that.

A sudden _vroom_ in the distance makes me open my eyes. Five specks in the distance are zooming down the road at top speed. Frowning, I zero in, sharpening my vision, allowing my eyes to glow green a tiny bit. The image comes into focus, and I see the Teen Titans racing along the road. Robin leads the group on his bird-a-cycle or whatever he calls it, Starfire flies above him, Beastboy wings beside her in the form of a pterodactyl, and Raven trails them in the air, levitating Cyborg on a black disc of energy. I curl my lip as I listen in with my enhanced senses, seeing Robin's mouth move underneath his helmet.

"-Jail break, the police report said it was Cinderblock, with luck he's still there-"

I snort and pull out of the conversation, restraining my senses to that of a normal human. Heroes. They annoy me. All of them think they're indestructible, as if they know that good will always prevail. They treat normal people like commoners. They never think about the lives that are lost in the collapsing buildings they get thrown into, or the damage their weapons cause to the community. I used to be like that, before everyone turned their backs on me. It was like someone throwing cold water on your face to wake you up.

The Titans pass by me without so much as a pause, except for the one called Raven, who glances at me curiously as she flies past. I glare back, crossing my arms in front of my chest. One of her eyes widen, as if an eyebrow was lifted, and I turn away, walking down the sidewalk. I don't have time for the Titans.

They turn a bend in the street, the roar of Robin's motorcycle slowly fading. I pause, one foot hovering in the air. Cinderblock. Where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, it was in the paper a few weeks ago. He's some giant stone golem, with a bad temper. Huh. I can already predict the outcome of the fight. They'll go up against him, overconfident, and they'll lose somehow. It used to happen to me all the time whenever I fought a new ghost. I grin maniacally at the thought of watching the Titans lose.

You know, this might be fun.

I whirl on one foot, racing back to the alley at near superhuman speeds in my haste. When I reach the dumpster, I crouch and let the rings form, letting out a sigh of relief as the lightness washes over me, along with the cold. I run forward, feet pounding the ground but making no noise, and leap into the air, rising rapidly.

Within seconds, I'm hundreds of feet above the city, scanning the earth below me for the costumed heroes. It's easy to find them, (if only because of Robin's ridiculously colored outfit), heading down one street. My eyes travel ahead of them, and a few blocks away from their group, I can see the prison. The wall enclosing the compound is broken in spots and crumbling, and guards swarm the place like frenzied ants. I lean forward in midair, urging my body to move, and it obliges, fresh air streaming past my face.

Feeling rejuvenated after my meal, I push myself to the limits, fierce exhilaration welling up inside me, traveling at such speeds that the clouds are pulled after me by my slipstream. Too soon, it seems, I'm flying above the prison. Now that I'm closer, I can truly see how much of a state of panic it's in.

Unbelievable. The human race is so easily scared. Bitterness taints my mouth. And they fear what they don't understand. Such as me.

Looking below me, I can see that the Titans have reached the prison. I twist in the air, not slowing, and turn intangible and invisible, arcing downwards towards the prison. The roof nears quickly. 500 feet…300…100. I force my eyes to stay open, even as my body instinctually braces itself for impact. The next second, I've slipped through the roof as easily as if it wasn't even there. I roll my eyes. Wow. They really need to ghost-proof important things, like, say, I don't know, _a prison housing dangerous criminals!_ But I understand why they don't. Ghosts are still rejected outside of Amity Park worldwide, because most of the ghosts only haunt Amity.

The room I land in is more of a very wide-open hallway than a room, dimly illuminated by glowing blue rectangular panels fixed into the wall. The floor seems like it is made out of solid cement, and an exit that leads into another dimly-lit, smaller hallway is fixed into the back wall.

Floating to the floor, I land with a light tap and stride to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall and waiting, arms crossed, mentally counting down in my head.

Five…four…three…two…one… 


	2. Chapter 2: Encounter

**Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter 2! Updates will probably be every week or two, unless I get sick or just really want to write (like now). A lot of you reviewed (thank you!), and some of you asked some questions. I'll answer them now.**

**DizzlyPuzzled: Don't worry, the relationship thing won't be over excessive and dominate most of the story. I think that's annoying when fanfiction writers do that. I too am not a fan of slash, so you don't have to worry about that either**

**I-iz-1-cool-ninja: Thank you! Yes, Danny has some new powers, which I will reveal over time. One thing I was careful about was not to make him too much of a powerhouse, yet still very strong.**

**SonOfLucifer: Thanks! You just made me happy! :D**

**ChristinCC: Thank you, I know the first chapter was slow, but it was an intro. Thanks for reading!**

**Cinniomon: I will, don't worry!**

**Daragon10: Updating right now, aren't I? XD.**

**Wings-Of-The-Owl: You inspired this chapter. I woke up, checked fanfiction, read your review, then squealed and jumped up and down in happiness. I'm glad you like it! There is a reason that I haven't revealed much of Danny's back-story yet, and I plan on doing so as the story progresses with flashbacks and hallucinations.**

**dtechno: Danny actually isn't a jerk in this; he just acts like it at first because he wants to protect them. (You'll see what I mean). He'll warm up soon enough! **

**Sorry if I didn't include you, I wrote this note and published the chapter at different times, so I might have missed you if you reviewed in between those times! **

Chapter 2

There was a sudden, loud bang and a dent, shaped vaguely like a gigantic fist at least a foot in diameter, appeared in the metal door barring the room. A small smirk tugs at the corner of my lips.

Dang, I'm good at dramatic countdowns.

There is a slight pause, and then another loud crash rings as a second devastating punch is delivered to the steel door blocking entryway into this hallway. The steel groans loudly, then buckles, falling over and slamming to the floor with an echoing bang. A thirteen-foot tall giant stone golem steps over the twisted panel and lumbers into the room. Its body is vaguely humanoid, with long, thick stone legs and wide cement platforms as feet. Its head is a rectangular block affixed on top of its shoulders, with no visible neck. Its small beady eyes are luminescent orange-red, like lava, and seemingly fixed into a permanent intimidating glare.

I frown.

So this is Cinderblock.

Well, he's a lot bigger than I imagined.

The beast slowly lopes into the middle of the room, each step shaking the floor and reverberating throughout the entire compound. Just to be safe, I float upwards, closer to the ceiling, out of range of the behemoth. My invisiblity and intangibility are activated, of course, but one should never take any chances. If something can go wrong, it most likely will.

Cinderblock's beady eyes shift constantly, as if he is searching for something. As soon as he confirms that there is nothing in the room, (besides me, of course, but he doesn't know that), he begins to move for the smaller hallway.

My increased sense of hearing suddenly picks up a multitude of heartbeats and I look down, my gaze trailing to the fallen steel door. I watch in amusement as the Titans stealthily enter the room. The one called Raven, floating a few inches off of the floor at the back of the group, suddenly stiffens and whirls, her eyes flicking around the room, searching for something. With a start, I realize it's me.

How can she sense me?

Quickly, I throw up mental blocks, clearing my mind and banishing all emotion. I learned how to do it at _that_ place. My mind was the only sanctuary I had left when I was there. I practically had to shield my mind 24/7. Otherwise, they would have broken me a _long_ time ago.

The teen sorceress must be an empath or telepath or _something_, because as soon as I cloak my mind, she turns to Robin and leans over, tugging his cape to get his attention. "Robin," she whispers so quietly even I can barely hear her, "I think there's-"

"Not now!" He hisses, not even turning to acknowledge her. Raven snorts and pulls back.

Cinderblock, the dumb brute, is oblivious to all of this and continues to stalk forward. From my position, I see Beastboy flash a cheeky grin before calling out "You know, Cinderblock, normally the bad guys break _out_ of jail!"

Cinderblock freezes for a second and then swivels, his orange eyes fixing on the Titans.

Robin speaks up, a defiant smirk pulling at his lips. "And I can think of five good reasons why you shouldn't want to break in!"

I roll my eyes, smirking at their childish antics. Wow. Just wow. Even _I _never had such cheesy witty banter.

The Titans assemble themselves as if their performance was rehearsed, with each member calling out a number as they fall into battle positions.

Again. Wow.

Robin challenges Cinderblock and the monster complies, charging forward and building up momentum, his gigantic stone fists already drawn back and clenched to deliver a destructive punch.

"Titans, go!" Robin yells, and they leap into action.

Only meters before the two sides collide, Robin leaps high into the air and whirls, lashing out a foot in a pretty good midair roundhouse kick. His steel-toed boot smashes mercilessly into the villain's face, and Cinderblock actually staggers back a step or two. I'm impressed. Robin displays good strength for a such a small human.

Before Cinderblock can recover, the Tamaranian alien known as Starfire claps her hands together with a fierce yell and fires twin neon-green beams at the behemoth's back. This catches my attention, and I lean forward slightly, eyes widening. Is she a ghost? Can-no, no, I can feel the bubbly energy emanating from her body from here, and it doesn't possess the spiritual whisper that comes with ghostly abilities. This girl is still very much alive and breathing.

Hm. Disappointing. It would have been neat to see another ghost besides myself attempt to play the hero.

Cinderblock arches his back from the vicious blow, grunting in rage, and looks up just in time to notice Cyborg fall through the air towards him after taking a huge leap. Both combatants raise their fists and swing, each punch packing the force of a train. Upon the collision, a wave of wind from the impact stirs the dust on the floor. The force of the blows keeps their fists pinned together in the air for a second before they break apart. Cinderblock stumbles backwards, caught off guard.

Beastboy's turn. I watch, completely unimpressed, as his body melts and rearranges into a green-colored raven. The bird soars high into the air, nearly brushing past my intangible and invisible body before diving down towards the villain, talons extended. Continually letting out a piercing cry that makes me wince and withdraw my senses a little, the bird fiercely attacks the stone golem. His attack sadly has little effect other than annoy the monster, seeing as his claws continually scrape and glance off of the rough stone body.

However, his persistency is enough to force Cinderblock to move. The annoyed creature runs away in an attempt to dislodge the furious green bird, unintentionally heading right for Raven. Her eyes glow pure white and I sense a strong tendril of energy, magic I think, whip out from her hands and attach to the ground. She raises her arms above her head and the floor obeys, a segment of concrete sliding up in front of her like a wall.

Cinderblock crushes the wall with ease, grunting in frustration as his hands grasp at empty air while Raven deftly flies out of the way, joining her companions and regrouping.

I must admit, I am slightly impressed. The way this team coordinates so smoothly, interpreting each other's actions and bouncing off of them, it all seems so rehearsed, as if they've fought this exact battle before. It is quite admirable.

But then things begin to fall apart.

Robin and Cyborg team up and charge Cinderblock, who finally goes on the offensive and backhands them forcefully, sending them soaring like a person swats at a troublesome fly. I wince as Robin bounces along the floor like a rubber ball, probably tearing the skin on his elbows and knees. Unlike the rest of his teammates, he is fully human, and most susceptible to injury. That one singular blow will make him sore as heck tomorrow.

Starfire flies up into the air and I float backwards a little just to make sure I am not sensed. Brushing her long red hair out of her eyes, she glances down and notices Robin and Cyborg on the ground, temporarily stunned from the force of the blow delivered right to their faces. Her gaze hardens in fury and she turns to the monster, lighting up her hands with two, what are they called, starbolts? She throws them as if they were discs, which confuses me. Whenever I throw an ectoblast, I usually don't throw it as if it were a ball. I've learned that I can sort of control the direction of my blasts once the energy leaves my body, so I can make them act like following missiles. It takes up a lot more concentration than usual though, so I don't use it as often.

Starfire manages to hurl two starbolts before Cinderblock reaches up and grabs her, pinning her arms to her sides. I tense. With no one else close by to aid her, Cinderblock could potentially snap the girl's neck before assistance arrives.

Of course, however, I overestimate the beast's intelligence and he stupidly brings her closer to his face, his gaping mouth stretched wide in a smug grin. He thinks he has her caught. Yawning, I cross my legs and sit in midair, one cheek propped up on my hand. This should be good. Vaguely, I wish for some popcorn or a video camera, but then dismiss the childish thought as Starfire smiles kindly towards the golem.

"I am sorry to disappoint you," she says, "but I am stronger than I appear." Her eyes glow completely green as she summons her alien strength and draws her knee back. With surprising force and speed, she swings her leg forward and nails Cinderblock right in the chest, breaking his hold on her.

The golem stumbles backwards, grunting in pain, and looks up at a piercing cry from Beastboy, still in his puny raven form.

The raven's body suddenly distorts and swells, and I watch as the bird suddenly shifts into…a T-Rex. I raise an eyebrow.

Well, that was unexpected.

The emerald-colored dinosaur backs up; gaining more running room, then opens its maw and bellows an ear-splitting roar, charging forward towards Cinderblock. Cinderblock seems surprised, but only for a moment. The stone monster slides one foot back a little, bracing for impact. The dinosaur rams him with its head, but Cinderblock refuses to move and only slides back a few feet, gripping the dinosaur's protruding fangs stubbornly. He grunts, tightens his hold on the T-Rex's teeth, then spins. The dinosaur seems surprised that the rock golem can actually lift him, let alone twirl in a circle and lift its body off of the ground. Cinderblock's grunt escalates into a roar of rage as he releases the dinosaur's fangs, tossing it up into the air. Quickly drawing back his fist, he punches the T-Rex as soon it falls.

Stunned from the force behind the punch, the T-Rex is stopped in its tracks and sent flying into the air once again as its body shrinks back to Beastboy's. The green teen lands on top of Raven; breaking the spell she was chanting and sending them both crashing to the floor in a tangled heap. I roll my eyes as Beastboy nervously makes a stupid joke to Raven and she responds by coolly blowing a strand of her purple hair out of her face, nearly radiating annoyance.

Cinderblock, satisfied at his temporary lead in the battle, turns to walk away when Robin jumps on top of the beast, linking his arms around its head. My jaw drops and my eyes bug out. Is he an idiot? What kind of retard with no powers or inhuman abilities _jumps on top of a freaking stone golem that could easily smash him like a twig?_ That had to be the stupidest move I'd ever seen. What is Robin holding on to the creature's neck going to accomplish anyway, besides getting himself killed?

Cinderblock roars and rampages, attempting to dislodge the teen clinging to his back. Lumbering over to the wall, it reaches out and pulls a steel beam from the paneling with no effort, gripping it with two hands.

I can predict what will happen next and slowly smirk, shaking my head. Robin is smarter than he looks. Cinderblock, unfortunately, is not. He brings the steel beam over his head and smashes it downwards on his own body, hoping to hit the hero hanging onto him. Robin avoids the deadly blow by back flipping away at the last second, leaving Cinderblock's back to take the brunt of the beam.

Cyborg suddenly grins and pulls his own beam from the wall, charging the villain. Their two makeshift weapons collide repeatedly among a fizzle of sparks. It seems like an equal match in strength, but then Cinderblock pushes harder and Cyborg stumbles away, unable to recover in time to avoid the devastating blow to his body, courtesy of Cinderblock and his weapon.

The half-robotic teen skids at least thirty feet, his robotic parts throwing up sparks as they grind against the concrete ground. When he finally comes to a stop, his form is still and unmoving. I cup my chin in thought. I wonder if he's dead. That would be sort of funny, honestly. Getting killed by a rock. Hah!

Starfire quickly melts the beam in Cinderblock's hand with a starbolt, giggling when the stone giant stares at his drooping weapon in confusion. Cinderblock wisely turns and runs, pounding down the hallway, grunting with each step. Curiously, I drift downwards and follow him, wanting to know where he is going. It is quite confusing. Why the heck would Cinderblock break into a prison? The brute is dumb, but not that dumb. He must have some higher motive than just causing as much destruction and panic as possible.

Behind me, I hear, "Wanna give him the sonic boom?"

"I got the sonic if you got the boom!" Cyborg must have recovered.

I halt my forward flight and turn, wanting to see this 'sonic boom' for myself.

"Yo, rockhead!" Cyborg calls to get the beast's attention. Cinderblock dumbly pauses and turns. Cyborg and Robin both charge forward, running parallel on the walls before leaping into the air. As they arc over each other, Cyborg's sonic cannon extends and Robin's birdarangs slip into his hand. Sadly, their feet hook in midair and they tangle, crashing to the floor. I snort.

Newbs.

Cyborg hits the floor hard and his cannon goes off, hitting Starfire and Beastboy, while Robin's birdarangs slide from his hand towards Raven, exploding with a bang and temporarily blinding her with the flash.

I can barely suppress my laughter.

Oh, how I really want that video camera right now. The looks on their faces!

Cinderblock huffs in mocking laughter and turns, continuing down the hall. Soon, he encounters a wall and smashes through it, then smashes through the next wall, then the next, and so on and so forth. Obviously, he has never heard of the wonderful things called "doors".

Robin and Cyborg climb to their feet, watching tiredly as prisoners and convicts take advantage of the gaping holes in the walls of their cells. Robin pulls out his bow staff. "Titans, go!" He says, although with much less energy. I'm not surprised. The (failed) battle with Cinderblock must have really wiped him out.

Slowly, the Titans begin to round up the prisoners, and I float to the floor, my boots tapping lightly on the ground as I switch off my intangibility, still keeping up my mental blocks and invisibility. Raven seems occupied using her telekinetic powers to hold the prisoners back and block the holes, but I'm not taking any chances.

Casually, I stride out of the hallway, leaving the Titans behind. As my boots tap loudly against the floor, I hesitate for a fraction of a second. When was it that I stopped caring? When was it that I stopped being the hero? I remember that I used to have a hero complex, back in Amity Park when I played the superhero game. Back then, I would've gladly traded my life for anyone, even Dash. I never liked him, but I guess it was just the way I was. Too innocent and stubborn for my own good. That soon changed.

To be honest, its not like I don't _want _to be the hero. If I could just seamlessly slide back into the hero community, and everyone would accept me and finally recognize me as a hero, then I would. Gladly.

Unfortunately, I can't. Not when _they _infest my city like filthy cockroaches. Not when Jack and Maddie would gladly twist my actions and words, no matter what I said or did, to make me look bad to the public. Not when I'd just be captured and brought back to _that_ place again. It was a continuous nightmare when I was held captive at their facility. They used to surround me with dying people, trying to get me used to death so that I wouldn't mind killing as much. It was sick and barbaric. I remember holding a teen girl with severe influenza who looked like Jazz's twin in my arms, crying and unable to do anything but watch as she died. Spectra and Bertrand infiltrated a hospital, taking over it completely, just so Spectra could siphon ghostly energy off of the infected patients. If those two idiots could take over an entire hospital, who says the government can't? Patients on their deathbed, their days numbered, were occasionally put under very heavy anesthetics and pronounced dead, then wheeled out of the hospital and transported to my old little cell. I'm half-ghost, so many of the diseases that affect humans have no effect on me whatsoever. It's not like I could catch their diseases. I mean, really, something that's already dead becoming sick? That would just stink. Only a few viruses, their DNA chains having been mutated by ectoplasm, can affect ghosts.

It shattered my heart. To be honest, I'm not even sure if I could be bothered to love again. It hurts too much. It seems like the only emotions I can ever feel now are regret, sadness, frustration, and fury. And tiredness, but I'm not sure if that's an emotion. Maybe it would be better known as weary? I'm so tired of running. I'm so tired of watching a hero go out and fight a battle with a villain; unable to do anything but stick to the shadows and stay silent in fear that _they_ would find me again.

I freeze, one foot still in the air when the sound of panting breath reaches me, jolting me out of my rather depressing musings. I stop, cocking my head, and extend my senses, listening. Fully concentrating, I can hear the rapid pounding of someone's heartbeat, somewhere to my left.

A man in an orange prison suit, a convict, runs past, having managed to slip past the Titans. I cross my arms and float a little into the air, wondering if I should just leave. It's not my problem, anyway. It's the Titans' fault for allowing the man to escape. Heck, it's their fault for letting Cinderblock smash the holes in the wall in the first place!

Even so, I drift after the man, observing him quietly. He seems in good shape and knows how to pace himself, and he even acts as if he knows his way around the compound well enough. I narrow my eyes. This man has probably been here for a few years already, which means he must have done something bad, like murder or whatnot.

Whatever. I'm bored anyway and I have nothing better to do.

A small whisper of doubt grows in my heart as I fly above the man invisibly, watching his progress. Heck, what am I doing? Didn't I _just _have an internal conversation about why I'm not a hero? What if he sees me? What if he tells the authorities and they somehow let it slip to the public and _they _hear it? What if they come to Jump, looking for me?

What if they capture me again?

I shudder and push the thought out of my mind, taking a few calming breaths. Nothing will happen if I just take this man down quickly and invisibly. Besides, I hardly think that stopping one convict from escaping makes me a hero. I ready an ectoblast in my right hand, watching casually as green sparks of energy suddenly cluster above my palm, expanding to form a glowing, swirling ball of burning, green/white energy.

The man is about ten yards away, about to turn around a sharp corner built to slow a running person in case of a jailbreak. Easy enough.

With one smooth, fluid motion, I raise my arm so that it's level to the man and spread out my fingers, focusing the energy in the center of my gloved hand.

Firing an ectoblast takes more imagination rather than thinking. You have to _see_ the beam burst from your palm, imagine the tingle of the destructive energy leaving your body. You have to see your target with your mind, not your eyes.

A split second later, the beam suddenly erupts from my hand, trailing green fire as it travels, its speed cleaving the air. It connects squarely with the man's back and he cries out in pain, stumbling forward and falling on his stomach.

I smirk in satisfaction and shake my hand to dissipate the wisps of ecto-energy still swirling around my palm.

The man doesn't move from his awkward splayed out position on the floor. I frown, floating to the ground and walking over to him. He's not dead, right? If he's dead, that would really suck, because then everyone would be on the lookout for the murderer.

I bend my knees forward, sitting on the heels of my boots next to the man, letting my invisibility fade as I press two gloved fingers to his neck. His pulse is still there, throbbing softly, and I can feel the vibrations faintly through my gloves. I lean over to look at his back, where the ectoblast struck him. I wince.

Ouch.

There's a large hole eaten out of the fabric by the energy I discharged, and the charred edges of the cloth are still smoking slightly. The skin of his back is red and raw, probably a second-degree burn. Shouldn't be enough to kill him, just-

His eyes snap open, fixating on me almost immediately. I curse mentally. Great. I just _had_ to become visible. He starts screaming like a little girl and drags himself away, still shrieking at the top of his lungs. It's understandable. I can be a very intimidating figure, what with the eerie glow, glowing eyes, huge dagger, and awesome cloak and hood.

I raise my hands in a peaceful gesture, trying to appease him. He just stares through wide eyes and continues to yell, backing up until his injured back hits the wall, which only makes him shriek louder.

"Hey, I-"

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH-"

"Seriously, I'm not-"

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH-"

"Would you just-"

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH-"

"AAAGH! SHUT UP!"

I fire a small amount of sticky ecto-energy at the man's mouth in frustration and form a gag, which instantly shuts him up, though he continues to whimper pathetically. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, careful not to flip off my hood. Standing, I float into the air a few inches, which makes the convict's eyes bug out wider. "It's your own fault, you know." I tell him conversationally. My voice has gotten much deeper over the past two years, something I am immensely thankful for. It sounds eerie now that the swirling echo accompanies it since I am in my ghost form. "If you hadn't tried to escape, I wouldn't have had to shoot you."

He whimpers and staggers to his feet, running unsteadily away from me down the hallway. I sigh in annoyance before firing a narrow beam of sticky ecto-energy at the man's legs. It quickly wraps around them and tangles, causing the man to trip and crash heavily to the floor. The rope of energy still connects to my palm and I reel the man back in as he flops on the floor like a fish.

It's pretty funny, actually. If I wasn't so serious in my ghost form I would probably have started laughing at the sight.

I lean over the man again as soon as I drag him near enough to me, still gripping the rope firmly. "Did you not hear what I _just_ said?" I ask him crossly, allowing a deadly, threatening edge to slip into my voice as I finger my dagger with my free hand.

Without waiting to listen for a response, I grip the man by the turned up collar of his prison suit, hoisting him up into the air. The Titans are coming, alerted by the screaming. I have to end this quickly. I pin the man to the wall and bind him to it with more sticky ecto-ropes, gluing him so that his arms and legs are pressed against his sides.

Quickly, I debate internally whether I should kill him or not. To be perfectly honest, I really don't care who lives or dies anymore. Including myself. If I die, well then, so be it. I'm halfway there, anyway. _They_ would be proud to know they've accomplished their goal.

Nothing is more dangerous than an enemy with nothing to lose.

I dismiss the idea of killing the pathetic human in front of me, though. The Teen Titans will be more curious about the culprit if the convict is found dead. And the last thing I need right now is for someone to start an investigation about me. So I'll let him live. But not without quieting him first. I lean towards him, slowly pulling my dagger out from its sheath with a small _ssk_ sound.

Casually running my gloved fingers along the blade, not breaking eye contact, I say softly, "I don't think I need to say anything to ensure that you keep quiet now, do I?" With one practiced, well-trained movement, I bring the dagger up and press the edge to his throat, nicking the skin just enough for a small bead of blood to form. He instantly stills and ceases his struggling, eyes fixed on the glowing blade. "Because if I found out you said something, well…" I chuckle darkly. "It won't be pretty."

Ugh. I sound absolutely evil. It's necessary, though. In a way, I'm trying to protect the man. If _they _hear about my little excursion, then they'll kill or threaten anyone if they feel the need in order to obtain the information they're looking for. And they can be very…persuasive. I should know. I'm quite familiar with their torture rooms.

The man's eyes suddenly roll back in his head and he faints, slumping in his bonds. I take a small step back, sheathing my dagger, one eyebrow raised. Well, that was easy. I'm good at this. And that's bad. I don't want to become a monster, like my future alternative self.

My head jerks up sharply as the Titans round the corner, skidding to a halt as they catch sight of me. I curse quietly. I was so occupied with scaring the crap out of this guy that I forgot to monitor the Titans.

Robin steps forward, raising a birdarang gripped between his fingers. "Get away from him and put your hands in the air." He commands in the deathly silence. I laugh a little, stepping away from the man, raising my hands peacefully.

"Really, Robin, attacking the one who helped you? Some hero you are." I drawl languidly, examining the back of my hand arrogantly as if I'm just chatting with them. I have to come off as a jerk. If the Titans become close to me, if I let them into my heart, they'll end up breaking it. Betrayal is a common thing, especially among superheroes.

I have first-hand experience in the matter.

Robin scowls and tenses. "Who are you?"

I shrug mysteriously as mist begins to flow off of my body, swirling around my feet. I learned two months ago that if I amplify my ghost aura I can actually change its solidity into something sort of like white smoke, or mist. It's useful in a fight if I want to cloak my position, or if I just want to be dramatic, like now.

"I am many things," I say, preferring to be aggravating just for the heck of it.

"Yeah, like annoying." Beastboy mutters. I turn slowly to face him. The Titans can't see the upper part of my face, but they can see my mouth. It tugs open wide in a feral grin. Beastboy looks slightly scared, unconsciously taking a half-step back. If I am correct, he should have animal-like senses, and animals have a pretty good gauge of their fight-or-flight instinct. Good. He should feel like running.

"Annoying?" I ask incredulously, amusement clear in my voice. "Well, that's not a very nice thing to say. I feel offended now."

"Why are you here? How did you even _get_ here?" Robin asks abruptly, shifting the attention back to himself. I lounge calmly against the wall. "Simple, I am here because I wanted to see how badly your butt got kicked by Cinderblock, and as for your second question, well, I put my left foot in front of my right one alternately so that my body moved forward."

I pause, tilting my head. "It's also called walking." I add wisely, as if I were talking to a bunch of kindergarteners. Oh sarcasm, how I have missed thee. When you're on the run constantly, there really isn't anyone to talk to, or in my case, insult. Unless you want to trash-talk a tree or rock or something.

I can almost see the steam coming out of Robin's ears. "I'm going to have to take you in for questioning."

"No, you don't."

"…What?"

"You don't _have_ to. In fact, this has been fun, but I think its time for us to go our separate ways."

The rest of the Titans instinctively fall into battle positions, except Raven, who stares at me curiously. Robin's eyeholes in his mask narrow. "We don't want to fight you." He says, obviously trying to keep his temper in check. His stance says otherwise. I chuckle humorlessly.

"No, no you don't." My smile fades a little as I remember that Plasmius said the same exact thing to me the first time we met. Raven walks forward, pushing Robin aside slightly. "How is it that I can't read your emotions?" She asks, not even bothering to beat around the bush. Her voice is steady and a continuous monotone.

My smile fades completely at her question.

My shoulders slump slightly, the first true emotion I've revealed to them yet. "Trust me when I say this," I tell her softly, "you do _not_ want to read my emotions. I wouldn't wish that on anybody." It's true. All the agony I've been forced to endure, all the torture, physical, mental, and emotional has made me like a statue (most of the time, anyway). I look real, I act real, but I have no heart to love anymore. And to someone with emotions, even if they don't show them, like Raven, it is pure utter agony to make contact. She lowers her hood fully, staring at me in simple curiosity. My eyes connect with hers and I shudder. Her eyes are startlingly purple, just like-

No! Stop, don't think about it, don't think about how Sam…how she…she…

I grip my head, wincing, as pain lances through it like a thunderbolt, along with an echo of a whisper. The memories are coming back, swimming before my eyes. I realize in horror and dread that I'm falling into another relapse. My body starts to shake, while the rest of the Titans begin to approach cautiously. My concentration slips and my mental walls come crashing down. Raven gasps, stumbling back as my emotions hit her full force. She steadies herself quickly enough, staring at me in shock.

A small moan slips from between my lips and I fall to my knees, fingers clenching and unclenching alternately as I beat back the memories. I can't show weakness in front of them. I can't!

_Sam stares at me as the most serious look I've ever seen slips over her face. She reaches slowly into her purse-_

"No…"

_Biting her lip, I watch her hand flex as she grabs something, the weight of the purse lifting considerably as she pulls the object out…_

"No!"

The Titans are encircling me now, while Raven lays a hand on Robin's shoulder and whispers to him.

_My eyes widen. An ecto-pistol. Sam has an ecto-pistol in her purse. She's pointing it directly at my chest._

"NO!" I scream, and a burst of emerald energy explodes from my body, cracking the floor beneath me and the surrounding walls, throwing the Titans away. Instinctively, I pull up a small dome to protect myself from the backlash, enclosing myself in a little bubble of silence. The dome is soundproof, something I'm thankful for. I bury my head, still hidden by my hood, between my knees, fighting the tears. My chest hurts as the pain from old scars flare up.

The Titans recover quickly and Robin pounds on the dome, calling out something urgently to me, his face shifting between a look of frustration and surprise.

I need to get away.

I need to run.

I need to escape.

I close my eyes and imagine the park, my little nook in the tree where I slept, willing myself to be there. My body dissolves into green fire, which is quickly extinguished and replaced by smoke. Everything falls away into blackness, and I get an uncomfortable immediate drain of energy. Then I'm falling, and my back hits the ground as the sounds of the forest greet my ears.

Teleportation. Gotta love it.

Panting, I simply lay there in the grass for a few seconds before forcing myself to stand, staggering over to the knotted roots of the tree and unwillingly shifting back to human. I collapse as the full fatigue and nausea assaults me, along with the flashbacks and the signature dizziness that signifies an oncoming hallucination.

Curling into a ball, I wait for the sensation to leave, falling into a state of dream-like unawareness.

Eventually, slowly, it leeches away and I cautiously raise my head, my eyes fluttering open. It's dusk outside, with a brilliant sunset setting the sky ablaze with crimson red and russet orange. Groaning, I lift a hand to my temple and wince at the pounding headache. Quietly, I pull myself up to a kneeling position, holding onto the trunk of the tree for balance. How long was I out this time?

**_"You're a freak, you know that?"_**

My head whips around and I stare in surprise. Sam is standing there, not even ten feet away from me, lounging idly against a nearby tree trunk. She looks exactly the way I remember her from two years ago. A small evening summer breeze picks up and plays with her glossy black hair, moving it gently away from her face, which is twisted with disgust.

"S-Sam?" I croak out in horror, backing up until I hit the tree trunk. Panic overwhelms my senses. How did she sneak up on mithout me hearing? And if she's here, _they _can't be far behind. She chuckles, tugging a stray strand behind her ear. **_"The one and only."_**

"How did you find me?" I snarl, hatred bubbling up inside. Her amethyst eyes narrow. Suddenly, with no warning, she's in front of me, one finger propping up my chin as she examines my face. **_"You look older,"_ **she comments, her finger curling suddenly, the nail digging into my chin. **_"Nice to see the experiments didn't scar your face."_**

She moves my bangs out of the way softly, smiling horribly. **_"All except for this one, I see. Heh. I can't believe your own mom shot at you."_**

I slap her hand away, pressing myself against the trunk. "Shut up," I say, heart pounding, shaking like a leaf. My mind is scrambled and I couldn't be bothered to come up with a better retort.

She scowls and kicks my knee in so that it caves and I fall heavily to the ground, cracking my back on an exposed tree root. In the next second, she's pressing a dagger to my throat and I freeze instinctually. The cold blade bites into my skin and I wince as hot blood begins to trickle out. **_"I should just kill you now."_ **She snarls, applying a little more pressure to the blade.

"Then why don't you?" I challenge, staring back, careful not to move my throat too much for fear of cutting myself more. She looks at me, and then bursts into laughter. **_"It's much more fun to play with you like this."_** She teases, lifting the dagger from my throat.

Without warning, she slashes downward and slices into my cheek a little. A hiss of pain escapes my clenched teeth and she laughs again.

I push her off and roll away, staggering to my feet and running, barely sidestepping the thick oak trees. Something snares my foot and I trip, falling heavily to the ground, landing on top of my left wrist. I grunt in pain as a sharp crack rings out into the air. My index finger is horribly twisted at a wrong angle and is already puffing up, definitely broken.

Sam is there suddenly, leaning over me and smirking, her hands planted on her waist. **_"Still as clumsy as ever, huh?"_**

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I roar, and charging my good hand with ecto-energy, I fire a wide deadly beam at her. Somehow, it goes through her body and blasts a nearby tree instead. The tree trembles, then the top half slides and falls off with a crash from where my blow decapitated it.

She clicks her tongue disapprovingly. **_"Well, your aim has gotten worse."_**

I leap to my feet and begin lashing out, a haggard scream tearing itself from my lips as I fire random beams from my hands and eyes, my breath hitching painfully in my throat. I'm not in my ghost form, so the blasts aren't as strong, but I still do a ton of damage to my surroundings.

Sam dodges all of them, laughing insanely. Tears begin to well up in my eyes and trickle down my face and I sob, still flinging ectoballs. Haven't they done enough to me already? Haven't they broken me enough? Why do they continue to haunt me? What did I ever do wrong to deserve this? Sam's laughter rings in my ears and I curl up into a ball, shaking, crying, rocking back and forth. I just want it to stop. I want it to end.

"Just leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone…" I chant continuously, voice breaking.

Eventually, slowly, her laughter fades into silence, and my heartbeat returns to normal along with a wave of dizziness. I open my eyes to find myself lying on my back in a pile of leaves, with the morning sun streaming into my face. My throat and face stings, and my finger is swollen and purple, throbbing, a little heartbeat pulsing in its tip. Dried tears paint my face.

My body is stiff and cold, but I push myself up to a sitting position, resting my back against a tree trunk. The morning sun casts dappled shadows on the ground through the leaves, and a tiny warm breeze flutters through my hair. My shoulders slump, and I pull my knees up to my chest.

A hallucination. It was another hallucination.

I lift my left hand, looking at the hideous finger. I must have broken it, scrambling away from the hallucination Sam. Slowly lifting my good hand, I gently touch the place where my face and throat stings. My finger comes away covered in flaky dried blood. I sigh. I must have pulled out my dagger and attacked myself, thinking it had been Sam.

I stand, swaying, still combating dizziness. Where _is_ my dagger? I take an unsteady step forward and begin to turn, searching. A ray of sunlight glints on something protruding from a bush and I pick it up, recognizing the handle. The long blade is covered in dried blood. I burn away the blood with a small flame of green fire, curling my lip at the metallic odor.

When I've cleaned it as best as I can, I sheath it and lean against a tree, thinking.

Obviously, its morning now. How long was I passed out after the hallucination? Did hours pass or days? Did I hallucinate the whole thing with the Titans fighting Cinderblock? I think for a second, debating, then dismiss it. I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine the whole thing with the Titans, because I can remember thinking clearly at that point of time. All I can remember after that is cruel laughter, pain, hatred, and panicking. There's a loud creak above my head and I instinctively leap out of the way, barely avoiding a fallen branch that crashes right to the spot where I had been standing.

Frowning, I kneel over it, examining the severed end. It ends abruptly as if someone had chopped it off, but the edges are heavily charred and the leaves are withered and black. Looking up, I note a lot of the same type of damage dealt to many of the trees near me. I wince. I probably started firing the ectoblasts at the hallucination last night in an attempt to ward it off.

Great. Cops should be here soon.

Sighing heavily, I fall back on my butt and let my head thunk against the tree. My finger is on fire with pain, and I know I probably have to set it. My ghost healing abilities won't be able to fix the wound if the joint is knocked out of place. I groan. This is going to hurt. Doesn't matter. I've had far, far worse injuries. Taking a deep breath, I lightly touch the swollen appendage with my right hand. Instantly, my hand jerks away before I can stop it and the injured finger pulses with new pain.

I remember how when I was little and I had a band-aid on, I never wanted to take it off because it stuck to my skin and would hurt when I peeled it away. So, Jack would get me a glass of lemonade and talk to me about school or whatever, and when I least expected it, he'd rip it off. Sure, it stung for a second, but that quickly faded.

Breathing deeply again, I start to talk out loud. "I can't believe those Titans failed against Cinderblock. I mean, yeah, he's a hulking rock, but his brain is like the size of a pebble. All they had to do to defeat him was keep-"

My hand tightens on the finger and pulls sharply. There's a satisfying click as the joint snaps back into place. I wince momentarily, shutting my eyes, cradling my hand to my chest. Holding up my right hand, I summon my ice powers until a small sphere of fizzing blue energy crackles into existence. I curl my fingers and condense the energy, purifying the color until it sparkles and shines a light blue. The ice crystals bond together and form one large, beautiful diamond-like chunk of ice. I frown in disapproval. That won't work. The ice needs to be flat and medium thickness, easy to hold against my ridiculously swollen finger. I flatten it like a pancake with my mind, the way a child smushes play-doh in his hand. Finally, I break off my concentration and the ice falls into my palm.

As my right hand holds the ice to my finger, I think about my other injuries, like the cuts on my face and neck. Those will heal at a human pace, because of the ectoranium blade of my dagger. Great. Shifting to my ghost form, I unwrap the emerald gauze from my upper arm and rip off a patch of it. The one side is sticky, so I rip off smaller strips to act as tape and hold the corners of the folded patch to my cheek. I can't have the sticky side touching the wound, because otherwise when I rip it off it will take the scab off too. For my neck, I just take a longer strip and fold it in half, sticky side gluing it together, and use two other smaller strips to secure it to my skin.

Medical attention for my face and neck done, I stand up, glancing down at my injured finger. Already, it's healing incredibly fast, and the ugly purple color is rapidly lightening to a slightly less sick looking blue. It will probably take thirty minutes for the color to return to normal, then another thirty to heal the broken bone and reattach the joint firmly.

I take one last, long strip of gauze and bind my finger tightly, using two smooth straight twigs as splints. Is it sad how well I know how to do this? I wind the leftover gauze back around my arm and levitate into the air, not bothering to go human and walk through the park like a normal person. I need to find out what date it is.

I rise above the treetops within seconds and shoot off towards town, searching for a newspaper machine or something. Today is Sunday (I think, not really sure) so the paper should come out today, and I can always check the date printed on one of them.

Briefly, my thoughts turn towards the Titans. I wonder what they think of me. Hopefully, its nothing good, that way they won't want to befriend me or have me join their little team. I hate acting like a jerk. I don't want to be a jerk. But I have to protect them and myself.

So I guess I'm just going to have to wait and find out.

**So, how was that? Comment if you liked it! Anyway, to answer a question...**

**Vlad. I'm sure we are all curious as to where the heck he is right now. As much as I would love to tell you...I can't. Mainly vecuase it would ruin everything if I did. I apologize, but you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out. Anyway, Happy New year's! I give out computer sparkling juice and toast you all! Also, thanks to all who liked Danny's new outfit. I actually have drawn it, but I'm a sucky artist with no way to post it on deviantart, so...haha...why don't you guys try drawing it? (if you want to, of course.) **

**One last thing. I'm trying to write this story in present-tense, which is a challenge because I usually write in past tense. Sorry if any mess-ups in that area occur. Its 12:48 right now (p.m.) and i snuck downstairs to post this after reading your reviews, so excuse me if I forget anything.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Raven's Perspective

**A.N.**

**Ugh. School is annoying. As I always say, thanks to all who reviewed or put my story on alerts or favorites. Thanks for the feedback! Reading all of your reviews makes me all happy inside! [Wow that was so cheesy (hey I'm eating cheese-its right now! Blame them!) but I meant it]. I haven't said a few things yet that I should have. First off, PHANTOM PLANET NEVER HAPPENED! I'm pretty sure that was obvious, but oh well, now you know. Also, I can't believe I forgot the disclaimer! **

**Disclaimer (I've always wanted to do this): I solemnly swear (that I am up to no good, haha, jking) that I am, sadly, NOT the owner of Danny Phantom or Teen Titans. And no, I am not making a profit off of this story. (Though I treat your reviews like gold)**

**Okay, review response time! For those of you who don't care and would rather be reading, skip ahead past this bolded section to start reading.**

**Shiva the Sarcastic: Thank you! The original reason I wrote this story was to get some diversity into the TT/DP crossover section. I'm glad you like that! **

**DizzlyPuzzled: Yes, I know. Hehe, just joking. Thanks!**

**SonOfLucifer: Yeah, I'm pretty much an insomniac. This chapter was uploaded before midnight, though! And yes, he will meet them as Fenton, next chapter, maybe.**

**WingsOf-The-Owl: AAAAAGH! I can't believe I forgot to write the explanation as to how they were able to get sick people! D: I was all like, 'What?' Then I went back and read Chapter 2 and was like 'Oh crap!' So I went back and edited it and explained how that was possible.**

**dtechno: Yeah, I went back and edited last chapter a tiny bit. I might not have gotten rid of all the mistakes but I tried. I'm not really sure if I will bring in an OC as of now. Probably not, because a lot of people make them Mary-sues and that annoys the heck out of me. Definitely some of the DP villains, though, oh yeah. Just not now.**

**Daragon12: I can't wait to let you see how the Titans react to Danny (Fenton). Thanks for the review!**

**Akela Victoire: Hehe thank you! That's a big compliment, because sometimes I struggled with grammar. :D**

**Somnialunae: I'm updating, don't worry! I love this story so far, so I won't abandon it just yet!**

**Kiyiamayu: You made me laugh very loudly in happiness, and my brother asked what was wrong. Thank you! I love it when people leave good, long reviews!**

**SRL541: Yes, this story is a big challenge for me. Its my first time ever writing in present-tense, so please excuse me if there are some obvious errors concerning the tense. You were right. "living" and "alive" were redundant, and I stared at the screen for, like, ten minutes thinking _The heck? Why did I write that?_ I went back and fixed it. Thanks for the feedback!**

**Cloud9timeforEmu: HECK NO! How could I ever cut out his fun side? That would just be wrong! The only reason he hasn't shown it yet is because, well, what can you do while on the run that's entertaining, besides, you know…running?**

**RaDiaNTFreezez: Thanks! Please keep in mid though that I don't really like cursing. Thanks for your understanding and I hope you like this chapter too!**

**Forgotten memories: You know, I wrote a fanfiction in my notebook once that was called Forgotten memories. Cool! XD. I'm glad my story smells of skill. Reeks of ridiculous incredibly. Wafts of wonderfulness. Okay, sorry, sorry, I'm on caffeine now, forgive me. XD**

**A naughty mouse: Nice name! Yes, Danny is a little bit crazy. That just makes him all the more awesome in my opinion. **

**Art-is-a-bang-yeah: Thank you! I really do put a lot of effort into my stories! I hope you keep liking it!**

**Sunshine-Midnight123: To be honest, this is the first story I've ever posted on fanfiction, and I was a little shy and nervous about it. It's reviews like yours that give me confidence! (flashes a superhero pose)**

**Juniperfalcon17: Thank you! A lot of people seem to like the plot, which makes me happy.**

**Piromiru: Don't worry, this story ain't dead yet! I love it too much!**

**Supaherolena02: Thanks for taking the time to drop a review! They're always appreciated!**

**Pant, pant…okay, I think that's everyone. Alright, I've made you wait long enough. I present to you, Chapter 3 of Haunted Memories!**

Chapter 3

Raven sighed in annoyance as she spotted two convicts trying to make a run for it through a hole in the outer prison wall that encircled the courtyard. She and the rest of the team had been rounding up convicts for a good twenty minutes, and she was already tired from the fight with Cinderblock. They would've won if the maneuver Robin and Cyborg tried to perform had worked. But it didn't. So they didn't win.

After years of meditating, Raven had learned that the past doesn't matter. Only the future. It's pointless to waste time grieving over what is lost or forgotten or whatever. You can't do anything to change what already happened, so why not just ease your conscious and look to the future instead?

But there is one thing that happened during the battle that bugs Raven.

She's sure that when the Titans first entered the room to fight Cinderblock, there was something else in the room with them, besides the gigantic stone monster. She could feel it. It was like nothing she'd ever encountered. Its emotions were deep and thorough, rolling and slow at some points, racing and leaping at other times. It's hard to describe. The best thing that Raven could compare it to would be an ocean, or maybe a river, but living.

A sort of…power wreathed about it too. If she strained, it was like she could almost hear an echoing whisper swirling around the room, murmuring things she couldn't quite catch no matter how much she listened. It was unbelievably frustrating! And the power itself was incredible. It was amazingly strong, far stronger than any of her teammates, a definite force to be reckoned with.

And that was when it wasn't even _doing_ anything!

Oddly enough, it also seemed…dead. Its power was probably spirit-based, so was it a ghost? Raven had read about spiritual creatures in one of her books from Azarath, and it was sort of similar to what the books described. But at the same time, it was… alive. It was alive and dead all at the same time. Raven wasn't sure if she had ever felt more confused. Raven had turned wildly upon first sensing it, trying to find the silent occupant, her eyes sweeping and searching but relying mainly on her empathic abilities. She had just concluded it must be somewhere above them when it vanished.

She could tell it was still there, but the trail of emotions she'd been following was now guarded, hidden carefully so that she couldn't sense them. For all she knew, it could be right behind her.

Officially slightly unnerved, she'd reached forward and tugged on Robin's short cape, trying to get his attention. He should know that there was a potentially dangerous occupant in the room that none of them could see or hear.

The determination and concentration rolled off their leader in waves as he brushed her off, focused solely on the huge stone behemoth before them. Raven rolled her eyes and withdrew her hand back into the folds of her dark blue cloak, still thinking. The mysterious person- for she could tell that it was living (sort of?)- was still there, but it hadn't made any moves yet. It _could_ be benevolent. Or it was just watching, a spectator to the battle. Raven had decided that at the slightest hint of malicious activities, she'd make Robin listen to her and she would try to confront the presence.

Currently, Raven was forcefully jerked out of her musings when Robin hollered her name. "You gonna get them?" He asked, jerking his head towards the fleeing convicts. Raven phased into the ground as a reply, still thinking distractedly about the strange presence.

As the prisoners neared the huge crumbling gap in the stone, one of them crowed, "I think we're gonna make it!" Raven rolled her eyes and slowly emerged right through the stone directly in front of them. They skidded to a stop, looking shocked, backpedaling furiously.

"Think again." Raven stated, a subtle snarl hidden in her voice. She was tired and sore from the fight. Azarath help _anyone_ who got in her way. Quickly wrapping the prisoners with her magic, she levitated them over to her team, pushing the convicts into a new undamaged cell none too gently.

Robin knocked the last man into the cell, along with the others, with a well-placed jump kick. Cyborg slammed the door shut before they could make a break for the exit again.

"Is that all of them?" Robin turned to ask a nearby guard, who was standing watch at the door to the prison cell. The soldier flipped a few pages on his clipboard, running down the list with a pen, checking off various names occasionally. After a few moments of silence, he nodded. "Affirmative. All the prisoners have been returned back to their cells except for one."

"What? Who? We work our butts off for nearly an hour and one still escapes!" Beastboy groaned, shoulders slumping. Raven could feel the guilt rolling off of Robin in waves. He blamed himself for this.

Suddenly, the guilt changed to anger and misguided blame. Raven sighed, blowing a strand of dark purple hair out of her eyes impatiently. Here we go…

"We could've had Cinderblock, _and_ stopped this fiasco if _you_ hadn't messed up!" Robin growled, turning to face Cyborg, pushing a finger in his metal chest. Cyborg looked down at the smaller teen in surprise, his mouth falling open.

"Say what? I had 'em! It was your fault that _you_ hit _me_ in midair, not mine!"

Robin straightened, squaring his shoulders to make himself more intimidating. "Oh yeah? Who was it that blasted Starfire and Beastboy with his sonic cannon?" Cyborg gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists.

"Who was it that blinded Raven with an explosive birdarang? Was it me? Oh no, it can't be, '_cause I don't name my weapons after animals like an idiot!"_

"Hey, what's wrong with animal names?" Beastboy interjected, glaring accusingly at the robotic Titan, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, you got a problem?" Robin demanded, shaking his fist in anger. Cyborg smirked, leaning over the Boy Wonder. "Actually, yes," he said with a mischievous grin, "it's four feet tall and smells like cheap hair gel."

Even Raven had to choke back a laugh at that one, pretending to examine the ground instead. A wave of fear and nervousness hit her and she looked up, her eyes locking onto the source. The poor guard was edging away from the group, clearly frightened at the explosive argument unfurling in front of him. He was probably itching to leave his post.

"Well, your feet smell like motor oil!" Robin yelled, resorting to petty insults. Raven rubbed her temples; the negative emotions in the room were beginning to set her on edge.

"Please friends, let us not argue." Starfire bravely interrupted the fight, raising her hands peacefully.

"No! Cyborg here messed up the entire mission!" Robin shouted, whirling on the Tamaranian. Starfire shrank back under his furious gaze, stepping closer to Beastboy in nervousness. At this point, a loud clatter sounded as the clipboard fell to the floor, the nervous guard already long gone. Slowly, Cyborg and Robin's scrabble began to culminate into a full-blown shouting match.

"WILL YOU BE QUIET ALREADY?" Raven yelled over the din, her voice ringing with authority in the spacious hall. Instantly, there was immediate stunned silence. Everyone stared at Raven in shock, who blushed slightly, unused to all the attention. She walked forward, trapping both Cyborg and Robin in her furious gaze. "You are both at fault, neither of you messed up more than the other. It is pointless to continue this argument. Instead of arguing, we should be tracking down Cinderblock and getting information on the prisoner that escaped. If you insist on arguing, then do it at the Tower, _not when we're on a mission._"

Robin's mouth opened to argue, but Raven's hands flared with dark energy, instantly silencing the leader. No one spoke, choosing instead to gape at the dark Titan. Raven sighed in relief at the sudden silence, letting go of the magic and lifting her hood up over her head once again. Good, sweet silence. At least she could think straight now.

A man's (kind of girlish) scream sounded, bouncing off the halls and reaching their ears.

If Raven was prone to showing her emotions, she would have been tearing out her hair and screaming in frustration by now.

"Titans, go!" Robin commanded, already taking off down the hall. Raven sighed in exasperation and floated into the air, following her leader. Starfire flew after her quickly, while Beastboy raced ahead in the form of a cheetah. Cyborg hesitated for a second, then shook his head and ran forward, pounding along underneath Raven.

The man's screams grew louder and more panicked before they suddenly cut off abruptly. Now alarmed, Raven increased her speed. What if the man was dead? Had someone killed him? Why?

The group rounded a sharp corner and skidded to a halt in surprise. Raven blinked. A boy, no, a teen, was standing casually about twenty feet in front of them, looking at a man in an orange prison suit who was…glued to the wall? Slightly pulsating ropes made up of a thick, sticky-looking green energy bound his legs and arms to his sides, while another similar splotch of energy covered his mouth, effectively acting as a gag. The man's eyes were closed, and beads of nervous sweat rolled down his face. His posture was slumped and limp and he didn't struggle against the tight bonds pinning him to the wall. Raven's gaze shifted to the teen. He was quite muscular and tall, not hulking like Cyborg but not skinny as a stick like Robin, and his body was lithe and flexible looking. He wore a white tunic and white loose pants that tucked into white knee-high boots. Green bandages swathed around his waist and wrapped around his upper thigh. His gloves were white (now there's a shocker) and reached to his elbows, green rectangular patches on top of the hand section of each glove. A black sheath strapped around his waist, carrying a wicked-looking dagger, or was it a dirk? The blade was around a foot and a half in length, too long for a dagger and too short for a sword. A snow-white cloak pinned at the center of his collarbone and flowed down to his boots. Raven eyed the cape in curiosity. The fabric dissolved into…white shadows at the end and fluttered silently, the material rippling as if an intangible breeze stirred it. The boy's hood was pulled up, casting the upper part of his face in deep shadow.

The mysterious person turned to face them, sighing audibly in annoyance. Raven's eyes widened. This…this was the thing she had sensed upon entering the room to fight Cinderblock! Now that she was closer to him, she could hear the sea of whispers, like a multitude of voices, swirling around the room. _Great…heroes…get away…fighting…_ She winced slightly and brought up mental shields, blocking the eerie and persistent noise.

The boy's presence had a strange effect on Raven. Instinctually, she wanted to shy away, get away from this unknown _thing_. She could sense that it was very strong, but that was all. Its, no, _his_ mental blocks were still up and maintained, completely cloaking his emotions. Beastboy leaned over to Starfire and nudged her, whispering in slight awe, "Who is that dude?"

Oh yes, Beastboy, because Starfire _definitely_ knew him.

Robin bravely stepped forward, already slipping a birdarang in between his knuckles, ready to throw. Raven rolled her eyes. Good job Robin. Act threatening. That always works.

"Get away from him and put your hands in the air." Robin ordered tersely, his voice carrying in the silence. Raven immediately tensed, expecting the stranger to lash out or something, but instead, he simply chuckled a little and obeyed, raising his gloved hands in an attempt to appease the Boy Wonder.

"Really, Robin, accusing the one who helped you? Some hero you are." His voice was deep and smooth, tinged with a strange echo that sent small shivers up Raven's spine. She leaned forward a little, probing slightly at his shields with her mind. But just upon brushing them, she could tell it would take at least a few minutes to break them and by then the stranger would be aware that his mind was under attack.

Robin tensed at the person's comment, and Raven flinched at the roar of anger that swirled around her leader. "Who are you?" He demanded, clenching his fists, breathing through his nose. The stranger shrugged one shoulder and a strange mist began to creep up his body, swirling around his legs and swimming over his shoulder. Raven disguised a shudder as the mist reached her feet and the murmur of voices swelled slightly.

"I am many things." The boy stated off-handedly, skillfully deflecting the question.

Beastboy snorted quietly and muttered, "Yeah, like annoying." Raven wanted to smack him. The one thing they didn't want to do was offend this being, and Beastboy insulted him as if he was just a regular villain. Heck, they didn't even know if he's benevolent!

The boy turned slowly to face Beastboy, lifting his head a little. Raven's purple eyes widened. His eyes were a stunning green; toxic, neon, radioactive, literally glittering like twin emeralds. His mouth slowly pulled into a wide grin that showed all of his teeth. His placid aura tightened, gaining a threatening edge.

Raven felt the disturbed fear that radiated off of Beastboy as he instinctively took a step away, backing down.

"Annoying?" The stranger asked incredulously, amusement dripping off of his voice. He lifted a hand to his chest; over the area where his heart would be, feigning hurt. "Well, that's not a very nice thing to say. I feel offended now."

Yep. Great job Beastboy.

"Why are you here? How did you even _get _here?" Robin asked as he took a step forward. The stranger levitated a few inches into the air and floated sideways, leaning casually against the wall opposite from the trapped convict.

"Simple. I am here because I wanted to see how badly your butts got kicked by Cinderblock-" Raven's eyes narrowed at this "-and as for your second question, well, I put my left foot in front of my right one alternately so that my body moved forward."

He paused, appearing to be thinking. "It's called walking." He added, a slight smirk hovering around his lips. If he hadn't just insulted her team, Raven reflected that she might actually like this guy. His sarcasm was certainly refreshing.

Robin was nearly trembling in rage. Cyborg tried to cover a laugh with a cough and failed miserably.

"I'm going to have to take you in for questioning." Robin said, barely keeping the snarl out of his voice, reaching for his handcuffs. Somehow, Raven doubted they'd be effective. Besides, what did the person do? He stopped a convict from escaping, and Robin wanted to arrest him just because he didn't like him.

"No, you don't."

Robin paused, confused, as if the concept of someone denying him was something he couldn't grasp.

"…What?"

The boy brushed imaginary dirt off of his shirt, still maintaining an air of cool professionalism.

"You don't _have _to. In fact, this has been fun, but I think it's time for us to go our separate ways."

At a subtle hand signal from Robin, the rest of the team fell into battle positions, except for Raven. Instead, she stared at the stranger curiously. The trailing whispers flowing off of him swelled once again._ Jerk…act…friends…protect…_

"We don't want to fight you." Robin stated, failing at hiding his anger completely. One of the boy's eyes widened, as if he lifted an eyebrow. "No, no you don't." He commented. Emerald-colored energy crackled quietly into existence, swimming around and between his fingers. It was clearly a warning: _Don't mess with me, or else._

Deciding to intervene before Robin did something stupid like order an attack on the strange teenager, Raven stepped forward, pushing Robin behind her. The mysterious teen turned slightly to face her, his posture still tense and ready for any sudden movement.

"Why is it that I can't read your emotions?" Raven asked flatly, staring directly at the boy's luminescent green eyes, which looked away slightly, not meeting her gaze. She didn't show any signs of being intimidated or disturbed by the teen, although she was (slightly). She couldn't let him become aware of her uneasiness. His presence made goose-bumps tingle along her arms, and it didn't help that an icy chill wafted continuously off his figure, dropping the hallway's temperature at least ten degrees.

Raven expected a sarcastic answer to her question, or no reply at all, not the sign of tired defeat that slackened his tense, battle-ready position. The air temperature dropped just a touch more, and the multitude of quietly speaking voices gained a faintly bitter tone._ Hurt…pain…betrayal…anger…_

"Trust me when I say this," he said so softly, it was almost a whisper, "you do _not_ want to read my emotions. I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

Raven lowered her hood fully, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion. What the heck did he mean by that? Did he go through some terrible experience when he was younger or something?

His eyes flicked upwards and found her face, meeting her gaze. For a second, nothing happened, and then his eyes widened, a wildly startled look appearing in them, and also…recognition?

He suddenly winced, reaching upward to touch his temples. His eyes narrowed, as if he was scrunching them in pain. The murmur of voices increased in noise slightly, sounding panicked and at unrest. Robin raised his eyebrows in confusion and leaned towards Raven. "What are you doing to him?" He whispered quietly, not taking his eyes off of the stranger. Raven shrugged. She was positive that she was the only one able to hear the voices surrounding the boy, so she assumed that Robin was referring to the teen's apparent pain. "_I'm_ not doing anything." She told him, still staring curiously at the person.

The stranger's body began to tremble, and his hands clenched tightly. His eyes shut completely, cutting off the glow and giving the freaky impression that there was nothing but darkness underneath his hood. "Titans, circle him." Robin ordered quietly, taking large, silent steps forward. Raven frowned as she brushed against the stranger's mind again. His shields were shaking and trembling as if an earthquake was striking them, and Raven could sense small cracks splitting the walls.

"What…?" Raven murmured to herself in a whisper, examining the boy. He looked like he was in excruciating pain, but was trying to hide it. His fingers twitched slightly and his muscular shoulders shuddered. Was he having some kind of a seizure or something? Suddenly, a multitude of vein-like cracks spider webbed across his mental walls. A second later, they shattered with the sound of falling glass.

The murmuring sea of voices suddenly flared to screaming and agonized roars, as if somebody had turned up the dial on a radio as far as it could go. _**PAINBETRAYALHURTRAGEFEAR**__- _They all bellowed, as if screaming their hurt would make them feel better. A sharp gasp slipped out from between Raven's lips as his emotions hit her like a train. She stumbled backwards, just wanting to get away from all the hurt this being was in and make the stupid voices _shut up. _ The dividing lines between their minds blurred for a split second and Raven saw flashes of a girl, very much like herself, with pale skin, purple eyes, and angled, short hair, dressed mostly in a Gothic ensemble. Raven jerked her mind away from his and raised her mental blocks as much as she could, abruptly cutting off the roar of voices as she just managed to catch herself before she fell flat on her butt. His emotions…were all negative, just like the voices. Bitterness, betrayal, disbelief, desperation, anger, confusion, frustration, sorrow, weariness.

And suddenly, Raven understood.

This boy…he wasn't a jerk. He wasn't arrogant. He was just _acting_ like that, in order to fool them into thinking so. But why? Why would someone willingly want to make a bad first impression? The tinge of desperation showed that he really wanted them to see him that way. But the fear? Was he _afraid_ of her team? Raven paused, thinking, and then shook her head to dismiss the idea. No, the fear wasn't directed at them, necessarily. It was towards what they might do. He was afraid of someone else. Was he frightened of someone… finding him?

An agonized moan clawed itself from the boy's throat and he shuddered, falling to his knees. His hands tightened and dug into the concrete, creating small craters in the concrete floor.

"No…" He whispered. His hood fell even more over his hanging head, blocking any view of his eyes completely. Robin paused, still about fifteen feet away from the mysterious person, thinking that the person's denial was directed at him.

"Are…are you okay?" Robin asked uncomfortably, unsure of how to respond to someone he had just treated as a villain minutes ago. The stranger groaned again, snarling out loud, "No!" Raven could tell that he was speaking to himself, not Robin, who seemed to understand this too. Cyborg slid beside Robin, staring down at the boy in pity and alarm. "You… you don't think he's having a seizure or fit or something, right?"

Robin shook his head, stepping forward and kneeling about ten feet in front of the boy. Raven swept up beside him silently, touching the team leader's shoulder to get his attention.

"Robin, there's something…not right about his mind."

Robin looked up quickly, tensing as a dark shadow passed over his face. "You mean he's insane?" Raven shook her head quickly, raising a hand to stop him. "No, he's not crazy, but he's not normal either. It's kind of like he's hovering in between the two. The closest I can compare it to is like balancing a rock on a knife's blade. Something…something horrible happened to him in his past."

She didn't need to delve deeply into the boy's mind to know that. The stupid whispers pretty much already told her, quite clearly.

A look of sad understanding darkened Robin's features. "Do you think-"

"NO!" The stranger suddenly yelled, his eyes snapping open and spilling beams of wide green light. A wave of destructive power exploded from his body, smashing physically into the whole team as if it were made of concrete. Raven hissed in pain as the burning green fire licked at her torso and face. The colossal outburst of energy lifted her off her feet easily and threw her away. Her back hit the wall forcefully and she slid to the floor slowly, momentarily stunned.

She blinked the spots from her vision, wincing as a steady throb of pain pulsed in her chest. She climbed back to her feet, using the wall as a support, already hurrying forward to help her teammates. Cyborg seemed the least injured, his body was half-metal after all, and he recovered quickly enough, broken fragments of the wall he had been tossed into raining down around him as he stood. "Man, I am so tired of this," he groaned, brushing wall-plaster dust off his arms, "first Cinderblock, then this guy. Who's next?"

Raven just rolled her eyes and flew past him, helping up Starfire, who was urgently lifting herself back to her feet. "Where is friend Robin?" She immediately questioned in concern, one hand gripping her shoulder as if in pain. The flesh was very red there, probably from the burn, and Raven encompassed her slender hands with healing magic and slowly began to fix it as she spoke. "Probably trying to reach the boy."

"He must require assistance!" Starfire worried, biting her lip in concern. Raven let the magic in her hands disperse and stepped back as Starfire rushed forward to stand next to Robin, who was just getting off the floor, his face twisted in a pained grimace. His skin was red like a lobster and a thin trail of blood dribbled down his chin. The hems and edges of his clothing were tattered and smoking slightly. It seemed the blast had come so quickly that he hadn't even had time to shelter himself behind his cape.

"Beastboy?" He called out, clearing his throat quickly to dispel the hoarse rasp. "Beastboy, report!" For a second, there was silence, and then Beastboy slowly padded around the nearby corner in the hallway, looking ruffled and annoyed. He was the smallest Titan, so the blast carried him the farthest, actually making his body bounce off the wall and tumble around the corner. "Dude," the green Titan growled as he combed his fingers through his green hair to smooth out the frizzle, "I spent, like, an hour styling my hair this morning. This guy better have a good excuse!"

"I don't think he can answer you at the moment," Raven stated emotionlessly, nodding in the direction of the boy. Currently, he sat with his legs pulled up to his chest, his hooded head buried between his knees. His body twitched slightly and his gloved hands flexed, the fingers pulling at his snow-white pants. A brilliantly colored neon green dome glowed solidly around him, trapping the boy. Raven paused. Was it really trapping him or was it his own way of protecting himself? Was he protecting _them_? Azarath knows, that single blast had packed a heck of a punch. What if he hadn't even meant to hurt them? It had to be an instinctual, self-protecting kind of thing. From what Raven had glimpsed of the boy's mind, he did not like overly small areas or being crowded. Perhaps Robin had encroached upon his personal space too much?

Raven lowered to the floor and walked forward once again to stand beside Robin, who had a look of frustration on his face as he stared at the boy. "Why won't he let us help him?" He murmured, lifting a hand to tentatively touch the dome, barely brushing the surface as if afraid it would shock him. Nothing happened, however, so Raven also reached out, pressing her palm against the energy firmly. Its texture was smooth and solid, maybe even oily, but it seemed flexible enough to withstand a couple good hits.

Suddenly, Raven twitched as the boy's thoughts, scrambled in total chaos, smashed against the walls of her mind once again, roaring like a tidal wave. Her eyes widened. His sanity was slowly slipping, threatening to crumble like a dam with numerous cracks in it. Only a few tiny tendrils, already stretched to their limit, kept him from completely sinking. The boy's form began to spasm slightly, and the dome softly pulsed brighter.

"What's wrong?" Robin yelled, beginning to pound the energy field with his fists. "What's happening to him?"

"His…sanity is collapsing." Raven whispered, feeling her shoulders slump slightly in pity for the stranger.

"What?" Robin yelled in surprise, whirling on her. He gritted his teeth and resumed attacking the dome. Raven summoned dark energy to her hand and spread it along the boy's jade energy, attempting to pop the protective bubble. "It's not gone yet," she assured her teammate, "but…I think he's having…some sort of an attack? A bout of insanity?" Raven could feel the boy's emotions now that his shields were down, and they were mostly panicked and fearful, but they weren't twisted in the way an insane person's would be.

At that instant, the stranger's body unexpectedly went up in twisting spirals of emerald flame, disappearing until nothing remained but faintly green-tinted smoke that quickly dissipated. The field of energy flickered and snapped out of existence and Robin almost stumbled forward. The ropes of energy binding the unconscious prisoner to the wall also disintegrated and the man fell ungracefully to the floor.

The eyeholes of Robin's mask widened in surprise as he surveyed the now empty space before him, completely ignoring the convict to his right. "Um…what happened?"

Raven frowned, tilting her head in consideration, then shrugged her slim shoulders. "He must have teleported or something, because I can't sense him anymore." It was true. He was really gone. At least the whispers had disappeared too. Robin turned and looked at the unconscious prisoner slumped on the ground with his back against the wall. "We should probably return him to his cell." He said, crossing his arms. The rest of the ream gathered around him. "Raven," Robin said, nodding in her direction, "could you…?" He gestured with his hands to the convict. Raven nodded and lifted her hood back over her head, reverting to her soul form. The raven of darkness flared its wings and silently swept over the prisoner, teleporting him to the cell holding the other inmates. A second later, it returned and its image reformed into that of Raven's normal image.

Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck and commented sheepishly, "Okay, so…anybody up for going home?" Robin nodded tiredly and began to lead the group out of the prison. "I think we all are, Beastboy. I need to read the police reports and sign all their stupid papers and research this new guy."

The ride, or flight, in Raven and Starfire's case, was silent, mainly because everyone was buzzing with questions. Who was that boy? Why did he help them…sort of? Why did he run?

The image of the boy's eyes popped into Raven's mind and she closed her eyes, trying to recall exactly what they had looked like. They were elegantly slanted, and the black pupil had contained an intense, cunning gleam. The irises were startlingly emerald-colored, with streaks of darker and lighter green extending from the pupils themselves. Not to mention that they glowed like exquisitely shaped and polished chunks of kryptonite.

At last, when they had reached Titan's Tower and were currently resting in the main room, commonly referred to as the living room, Beastboy piped up. "I don't know about you guys, but that guy was just so…so _awesome_. His costume was so cool! His cape was all smoky and his dagger-"

"-Dirk," Raven interrupted, not even glancing up from the pages of the thick tome now resting in her hands after a short trip to her personal library. "It was too long to be a dagger and too short for a sword. It's a dirk."

Beastboy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It still looked deadly."

Starfire emerged from the kitchen, holding a large bowl in her left arm and a wooden spoon in the other. She turned to face Beastboy, stirring the contents. Raven watched in fascination as the part of the spoon submerged in the ugly barf-green syrup began to droop and melt, sending curls of smoke in the air. "He seemed… in very much pain." Starfire commented, her voice filled with pity.

Robin looked up from where he sat at the kitchen counter, pausing in filling out the paperwork. "Starfire, I don't think we should trust him. He made it clear that he would attack us if he had to, and he refused to come in for questioning."

"I know that!" Beastboy interjected crossly, rolling his eyes once again. "I was just contributing my opinion."

"The only thing you contribute is your terrible jokes," Raven remarked dryly, turning a page in her book, scanning the pages hungrily, "and I wouldn't even call them a contribution." The title of the chapter read 'Spirits and Ghosts, Common Misconceptions'. Beastboy seethed at her comment while Cyborg chuckled, clapping the changeling on the shoulder. "How 'bout we play some X-box?" He asked, already reaching for the controller. Beastboy's elf ears perked up as a cocky grin brightened his face. "You're on!"

Raven just sighed and kept reading, trying to block out the sound of her two teammates arguing over who got to be Player 1. If the team was going to meet this guy again in the future (Raven was quite sure they would for some reason), then they would need to know as much as possible. Raven looked up slightly, her eyes settling on Robin. He seemed convinced the boy was a villain, or at least, should be treated with caution.

Raven tilted her head slightly, thinking. Did _she _think the boy had been a villain? He certainly hadn't been warm and fuzzy, but Raven understood that not everyone was bubbly and trusting like Starfire. Take herself, for example. Many people considered her as the 'Dark Titan'. But just because she liked to be alone didn't mean she was a villain.

The boy certainly hadn't shown any obvious signs of malice towards them. Only when Robin implied that he would use force to take him in if necessary had the boy given them a slight warning, by lighting up his hands with that strange, dancing green energy. Raven's eyes widened fractionally as she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to tell the Titans what she had sensed when his shields broke.

She snapped her book shut and placed it on the couch, floating over to the counter.

"Um, guys?" She called out awkwardly. She hated talking, with a _passion._ Everyone paused what they were doing and turned to look at her in slight surprise. "I need to tell you something I discovered about…the boy." Only now did she realize that they still didn't know his name.

Robin dropped his pen on the countertop and stretched, resting his elbows on the cool steel

Raven played with the hem of her blue cloak, twisting it around her fingers, anxious for anything to look at, excluding her teammates. Their combined attention made her squirm uncomfortably. "Well, when he broke down, his mental shields crumbled for a second and I could sense what he was feeling."

Raven's eyes narrowed as she remembered the emotional scars that marred the boy's mind. Her hands tightened in anger around the cloth in her hands. Whoever could do that amount of damage to a person was truly evil. Horrific. His trauma wasn't just from some regular break-up, or a taxing week or month or whatever. Not even the death of a loved one could leave such an imprint on one's soul.

"Friend Raven, please tell us what you have discovered." Starfire prodded slightly, her green eyes wide and innocent, as she set the bowl down on the counter next to Robin, who swallowed and edged away from the goop, which had begun to assume shape and form, shrieking quietly with its newly-formed mouth.

"He acted like a jerk." Raven stated, tapping the countertop with her fingers. A few seconds of silence passed, then Cyborg said, "Uh…yeah. I think we got that." Raven brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes impatiently. "No, he _acted _like a jerk. He wasn't. He _isn't._"

Robin frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that he was only acting like that to drive us away."

Starfire's eyes widened in sadness. "But why would someone do such a thing? I thought the people of Earth liked to make friends." Raven hesitated, still a little unsure herself. "I think…he was trying to protect something. Himself, mostly, and, in a way…us."

Robin's posture tightened. "You mean he considers himself a threat?" Raven sighed in annoyance. Why was Robin so quick to judge? It was useful _sometimes_, when he was facing an opponent, but other times, it was just downright aggravating.

"No," she ground out, her teeth gritted in annoyance, "he was sort of scared for us." She frowned a little. Scared wasn't a good word. More like concerned, definitely not scared. "I think he assumed that something or someone would attack us because of him, like if we took him in."

Robin made a fist in anger. "Agh, this makes no sense! We need to find him and get some answers!"

Cyborg nodded. "Agreed. I think we can all tell this guy was pretty tough. If _he's _scared of something, I think we should really figure out the what and why."

Robin stood in determination. "That settles it, then. Titans, tomorrow we start looking for this guy and find information on him." He hesitated, flinching in pain as his wounds flared up again. "I think we should all get to bed early to recover from all the fights today so we can have strength for tomorrow."

The Titan alarm blared raucously. Robin sighed, running a hand through his black hair tiredly. "Okay, resting can wait. Who is it?" Cyborg strode over to the computer, clicking open the blinking alarm icon. A window popped open, displaying raw footage of some kind of…purple goop monster chugging cans of radioactive waste and growing bigger with each loud, sloppy gulp.

Raven tried to stifle a groan and floated to her feet, waiting for it…

"Titans, go!"

AN

**Okay, everyone who was upset at the lack of Danny in this chapter, raise you hand. Just so you know, my hand is raised too. I'm sorry! I had to force myself to write this chapter, I was so upset. But alas, it needed to be done. Sigh. Just so you know, when the chapters are revolving around Raven, the story will be past tense. The only reason it's present when it's Danny's POV is because he's just crazy like that. Don't worry, most of the chapters will be from Danny's POV anyway. If Raven seems more skittish than usual, that's because she is. Remember, this is still at the beginning, only a little while after the Titans actually formed. She's not entirely used to being a part of a team yet.**

**Also, don't despair. I promise I'll update soon. I love weekends. So much free time. **


	4. Chapter 4: Icy Prison

**What's up guys? I have a very long chapter for you today! And yes, there's lots of Danny awesomeness in this one, and even…(gasp) SLADE! Yes! I've wanted to write this for a long time, baby!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Teen Titans. Seriously, if you think I do, you need to go to the Looney Bin. I don't own Slade either. Oh well. He'd probably shoot me anyway.**

**Review response time!**

**SonOfLucifer: I have drawn a picture of him, but I have no way of posting it. Sorry! :'( **

**DizzlyPuzzled: Yes, insane Danny is awesome. I know. I love him so much!**

**Wings-Of-The-Owl: lol, I messed up like six times when I was typing your name! :D Ahem, anyway, thank you! I'm trying to keep Raven in character, but she is a main character of this story. About these voices. Actually, they're really a sort of mix of all three of your guesses, but mainly the second one, a manifestation of his insanity. That's important, so don't forget it. I laughed at the image of you having a fan conniption in my head, but it kind of failed since I'm not sure what you look like.**

**Shiva the Sarcastic: Thanks! I know chapter 3 was basically a repeat of chapter 2, so it's nice of you to still like it.**

**VampiraDiablo: Hehehe thank you! :D I originally made this off the top of my head while eating a burrito and singing along to Skillet.**

**Piromiru: 'Ghostly personification of awesome'? LOL, I love that! **

**Random Viewer: Thank you! I've tried to make it original, so I guess I'm doing a good job.**

**Seantriana: Yes, I love his costume too. I came up with that off the top of my head.**

**Supaherolena02: I'm updating, don't worry! :D**

**Sleepyreader13: Thank you! I've tried to keep them in character, which is kind of hard.  
Cloud9timeforEmu: Witticisms? Cool! Not sure about original villains, but there will be LOTS of villains from the shows coming into play. The only reason they haven't yet is because I'm still in the introductory phase of this story. Yes, there will be LOTS of chapter for this story (I hope). Danny's tortuous past plays a huge key in this, though.**

**Umbra8191:Thank you! Here it is!**

**Dtechno: Slade is in this chapter, don't worry. And…have you been reading my mind or something? O.0 The Jinx thing and everything….you're a telepath! I know it!**

**ChristinCC: I'm updating! Yes, I sympathize with Danny and Raven too. Poor, messed up traumatized teenagers. **

**Zii Raevyn: Yeah, you're right. I forced myself to do research and I wiki'd dirk, and it was a variation of a dagger. So, from now on, the two terms will be interchangeable.**

**DannysasRAWR: LOL your name made me laugh. And yes, he will break down in front of them in some future chapter.**

**Wow. Okay. A few last things I need to share. First, READ MY REVIEW RESPONSES because I might give away hints to the story. (hint hint, I did today). Also, many people have asked to 1. Make danny cold, or a jerk. 2. make him friends with the Titans. It's going to be a mix of bother, okay? Danny is an annoying witty jerk in the beginning, but eventually warms up to them. Of course, he won't be, like. 'Oh hello Titans can I join your team hehehehe?' That would just be dumb. It will be gradual, okay? Lastly, a lot of people have asked for a drawing of Danny's costume. Unfortunately, I lack both artistic skill and ways to post it, so if ANYONE wants to draw it and post it on deviant art, I would love that! PM me if you're interested. **

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

Haunted Memories Chapter 4

The day isn't as sunny as it was yesterday, which was the day of my hallucination attack. The sky is blanketed with low-hanging, thick, gray clouds. Even the intervals when the sun peeks out are gloomy and dark. I don't care. It pretty much reflects my mood. I was so weak. I _am_ so weak. I let the Titans see me in my crippled state of mind! I just _had_ to try to be strong, fooling myself into thinking I was healed enough to drive off the memories. Obviously, I wasn't. I'm not sure if I'll ever recover. The scars are still here, anyway.

The air is a lot colder and brisk, probably hovering around the upper sixties. I sigh and keep flying, too dejected to force myself to fly any faster. Why should I? What does it matter? The Titans will probably report their sighting of me to the authorities. _They_ have spies interwoven closely in the Police Force, so the news will reach their ears eventually. Then I'll probably be forced to flee to a whole other country or state. Hmm. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii.

You should know that I hate running. Before, I never used to run from a fight, however terrible the odds were (yeah, I usually got the crap beaten out of me because of that). Even if I had no chance of winning, I walked into a fight with my head held high and a cocky smile plastered on my face. Not anymore. I'm smarter than that now. Instead, I wait. I listen. I search for the flaws in my enemies and exploit them, using them to my advantage. It's much more effective than careening into a fight recklessly, unaware of exactly what I'm facing.

I pass over numerous apartments, barely even registering them, looking down at the streets blankly. My heart aches. I lift a hand and press it against my chest, wincing, all too highly aware of the fact that the agony I am in is purely emotional.

"That girl…. Raven. Her eyes were amethyst purple, just like Sam's," I murmur aloud, the words snatched away by the wind the moment they leave my lips. It was too much of a reminder. I mean, come on! Raven's hair was short and angled exactly like Sam's, although she lacked the little flippy- ponytail thing. They were both pale. They both dressed in slightly dark and Gothic ensembles. Both are sarcastic. It was literally like seeing Sam's twin.

"Sam…"

My heart pangs a little more and the ugly scars on my chest throb dully. It hurts to even _think_ her name. That's how messed up I am.

I land, invisible, of course, in front of a drugstore, ducking behind a car in the parking lot to shift back to human. There's an old, beaten up newspaper machine placed outside the shop, near the door. Casually, I slide in front of it and slip a few coins in the slot, pulling the hatch open. I could have easily stolen one via intangibility, but I feel tainted enough. Right now, all I want is a sense of normalcy. And normal people don't use intangibility to steal newspapers. I grab the first newspaper off the stack and immediately leave, kicking the slot closed.

Walking down the block with the rolled up paper in my left hand, I catch sight of a small _McDonalds_ sandwiched (haha, get it?) between two skyscrapers, equipped with a small outdoor area with picnic tables and benches. I plop myself down on the bench of the one nearest the exit, spreading the newspaper out in front of me. The headline immediately catches my attention and I hunch over the paper, reading feverishly.

Phantom Sighted!

_On Monday morning of July 11th, the long-time gone hero Danny Phantom was spotted outside of Easton, Pennsylvania. Citizens report seeing a white-clothed person soaring through the air, only about one hundred feet off the ground. Several pictures below show the hero zooming between houses. The people of Amity Park were contacted and shown the photos, and all of them confirmed that the mysterious person was indeed Danny Phantom. _

_The reason for his initial disappearance is still unknown, but many people have speculations. Some say that he grew tired of the public's criticism and gave up on the city. Others object that he was truly evil the whole time, only leading the townspeople into believing he was a hero. Yet others state that local ghost hunter Red Huntress exterminated him, but this theory was discarded after the sighting. Ghost experts Maddie and Jack Fenton had this to say: "Phantom murdered our son, and we will not stop until we find him and bring him to justice. Phantom is an evil monster and a high-ranking ghost. If you see him, **do not engage!** Instead, call our number."_

_Indeed, evidence does point to the theory of Phantom murdering the youngest Fenton member. Jack and Maddie say they last spotted Phantom as he dropped their son over a cliff and flew off, laughing. His body was never recovered. However, hardcore 'Phans' such as Paulina Sanchez avidly claim that this isn't true and that the 'hero' would never do such a thing._

_After Phantom was sighted outside of Easton, citizens attempted to follow him but were told to go back home by the GiW, or Guys in White. Shortly after the arrival of the GiW, Phantom was reported to have gotten away. To see the photographs taken, turn to page A2-_

I close my eyes and lean back, shaking in rage. How. Dare. They. Jack and Maddie claim that I'm a murderer so that everyone will be on the lookout for me and report any sightings to them, which is exactly what they want. The poor town of Amity never figured out my secret, and Jack and Maddie obviously intend to keep it that way. I guess it's a matter of pride. They want to be the ones to kill me (fully). There's another part that worries me. My duplicate is obviously dead. A week ago, I sent a duplicate in the opposite direction to throw the GiW off my trail. I guess it worked. Whenever the government claims that someone 'Got away', they're dead. But if my duplicate died, then they know that it was a scam, because a duplicate simply fades out of existence if it sustains too much damage. Now they're going to be very angry that they were tricked. Great. An angry GiW is definitely what I need.

My hands grip the newspaper so hard my knuckles turn white and a tingle runs down my arm and channels into my palm, manifesting into ecto-energy. The newspaper goes up in emerald flame, disintegrating into ashes within seconds. I shake my hand to get rid of the dust and look around nervously. No one looks at me weirdly. No one points their fingers at me. No one noticed. Good.

I sigh, heaving myself off the bench. I'm going to have to leave Jump now. If I stay in one place for too long, they'll find me. My eyes narrow to slits. But first, I'll have to get some money for traveling expenses. I head out, walking around aimlessly to get myself lost. It doesn't matter. I'll be flying out of here tomorrow morning anyway.

Gradually, the buildings begin to gain a rattier, older look. The paint is dirty and peeling, and the sidings are marked with graffiti that has, um, very rude signs and drawings scrawled across the surfaces. Dandelions grow out of cracks in the sidewalk and the lawns are unkempt and filled with crab grass. More and more dark, shady alleys begin to pop up.

I smile grimly. "Welcome to the slums of Jump City, Danny." I whisper, already aching for the familiar weight of my dirk resting against my hip. I look up at the sky, gauging the sun's position. It's almost directly overhead, meaning it's sometime around noon. Meh. Daytime muggings aren't as common, but they still occur.

I hear the sound of shuffling feet from the shadows of an alley coming up ahead. I pause as I walk past, zooming in with my eyes, aware of the fact that they flash emerald green for a split second. Instantly, the darkness cloaking the depths of the alley seem to disappear, and I can see a whole group of men lounging against the walls, their eyes trained on me.

I lift a hand as if checking my watch. "Oh crap," I groan, "Mom's going to kill me if I'm late. I'm gonna have to take a shortcut." My acting skills are absolutely stellar. The men in the alley grin and shift slightly, receding farther back into the shadows. I hide a grin as I pivot on my heel and saunter into the alley, hands in my pockets.

Swiftly, two men break away from the group and draw up behind me. I pretend to jump as if I'm startled. I smile at them (insert air finger quotes here, please) nervously, raising my hands. "I'm sorry, sirs, I didn't see you there." I turn back around and keep walking, listening as they smother laughs. The rest of the group emerges in front of me, blocking my path forward. "You here that, Mac? He called you and Damian 'Sirs'! What a young gentleman." One of the bigger goons drawls, waving a hand at me.

"Um, excuse me, I need to get through."

The man grins, shark-like. "What's a'matter, kid? You afraid you'll get a scolding if you late for Mommy?" I stuff down a scowl at their poor grammar. It's annoying. They've been talking to me for a matter of, what, ten seconds and I already want to punch their faces in.

I could draw this little encounter out a bit longer and bask in their stupidity, but I have places to be.

Not.

My nervous smile widens and turns feral as a dangerous glint enters my eyes. "Oh no," I say, tilting my head as I slowly slide into a battle-ready stance, "Mommy doesn't care about me, boys." It's true. Thinking of my 'mom' puts me into an even worse mood. I can't keep the scowl off my face anymore. If these low-life thugs were smart, they'd leave while they could still use their legs. I'm in a bad mood right now, and that's never a good thing for any who aggravate me.

The men guffaw loudly, drawing closer. I view them with an experienced eye. There's a total of five overall, and all of them are huge, with tremendous biceps and forceps and whatever other muscles exist in the arm area. The two behind me have bald, shaved heads, and they wear V-Neck muscle shirts and black jeans with chains threaded through the belt loops. I nick-name them Grunt number 1 and Grunt number 2. In front of me, the three others of the group form an impenetrable wall, blocking the alley. The one all the way to the left, Grunt 3, is African American, with a buzz-cut and dark shades covering his eyes. The other two, Grunts 4 and 5, are Caucasian, one with long, stringy blonde hair and a long overcoat and the other with short brown hair.

"Did ya here that, Mac? Looks like we got a fighter today." The leader smiles, revealing stained teeth, and lifts his hands. The knuckles have spiked bands wrapped around them. I return his smile. "Where'd you get the bands?" I ask loftily, nodding towards his hands. "Your mommy give 'em to you to chase away the bad guys?" The guy, Grunt 4, scowls, walking towards me. "You just made a big mistake, kid," he growls, clenching his fingers into fists.

"No, actually, you did."

In one smooth, fluid movement, I cross the distance separating us and kick him in the face, which is no small feat considering how he's probably two feet taller than me. He takes a step back, grabbing at his nose, which is now twisted at a sickening angle and gushing blood. I drop to the ground, avoiding his wildly swinging fists, and spin, lashing out my leg again and knocking him off his feet. He crashes heavily to the ground, landing on his own spiked hands. He grunts in pain as the steel studs set into the bands dig into his shoulder. I lean over him, placing a booted foot on his back, pushing him even harder onto his own weapons. He lets out a low scream of pain. "Never let your guard down," I say conversationally. "You never know when an angry teenager will kick you in the face."

I flip away from him suddenly, avoiding Grunt 3 and 5, who lunge at me, arms outstretched. I complete a backwards handspring and land on my feet, still tensed. Grunts 1 and 2 are now right behind me, and my back is defenseless. Or so they think.

Grunt 1 tries to punch me, letting out a roar. I sway to the side and grab his fist as it passes my head. I twist and bring it over my shoulder, pulling down hard. A loud _crack_ splits the air as his arm breaks at the elbow, a result of me bending it the wrong way. He shrieks and pulls away, staggering into the wall. Grunt 2 just plain leaps at me, trying to grab me around the middle like a football player. I easily jump up about five feet into the air, clearing his lunge. I come down hard on his back, shoving him to the ground. I quickly springboard off his body and spin, throwing out both my legs in a devastating helicopter kick. My boots smash repeatedly, at least three times, into Grunt 3's temple. His eyes roll up in his head and he collapses instantly. Head blows are always effective.

At this point, Grunts 3, 1, and 2 are out of commission. If you're not good at math, this means that only Grunt 4 (the leader), and 5 are still conscious or just immobilized temporarily from pain. Grunt 5 is helping the leader up, who spits two teeth out of his mouth, panting in rage. Crimson blood streams out of his nose and drips onto his shirt. Holes were pierced into the fabric, and his flesh, by the knuckle bands, and little rivulets of blood trickle from them too.

I fold my arms, leaning against the brick wall, not the slightest bit winded. "If you were smart, you'd run now while you still can," I advise, jerking my head towards the fallen members of the group. Grunt 4 glances at Grunt 5 and nods. Grunt 5 plunges a hand into the pockets of his overcoat and pulls out a huge switchblade, expertly flipping the blade open with his thumb. Grunt 4 leers at me arrogantly, wiping the blood on his face away with the back of his fist. "_You_ should be running, kid."

He nods again to Grunt 5, who stalks forward, swinging the knife back and forth experimentally. I smirk slightly, reaching a little into my ghostly persona and materializing my dirk behind my back. I learned about two months ago that I could call specific parts of my costume into existence if I wanted to. Like my dirk, for example.

I reach behind my back and pull out the weapon, tossing it into the air and catching it by the tip, refusing to acknowledge the sharp sting of the ectoranium. The glowing green blade spins in the air when I throw it up again, carving intricate paths as it falls. I catch it easily by the handle, swinging the blade over my shoulder and around my back as if it was a basketball.

"You want a knife fight?" The grin on my face is nearly insane. "Bring it."

The man stares in shock at my dirk, lowering his switchblade momentarily. "Where did that-" He lets out a cry of pain and stumbles backwards as my blade suddenly hisses through the air and buries itself into his shoulder.

I had the weapon perfectly balanced when it was created so that it was able to be thrown, with the emerald in the pommel acting as the counterweight that makes the blade spin as it travels. True, it's difficult to throw because of its length, but that's nothing a little supernatural strength won't solve.

The man grips his shoulder and presses against the wall, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he pulls the dirk out of his shoulder. I stride over to him casually and kick the tendon in the man's wrist, forcing his fingers to flex and drop the weapon. "I'll take that back now," I say, scooping the blade into the air with my foot and catching it one-handedly. I flip the dagger so that I'm holding it by the tip of the blade. The ectoranium burns my raw, unprotected skin, but I ignore the pain and instead strike the man's forehead with the pommel, right between his eyes, which flutter and close as he tips over and falls to the ground. I quickly reverse my grip on the dirk so I'm holding the handle again, ignoring the urge to rub my blistering hand.

The leader, now the only left one able to move, backs away and trips, falling onto his butt. I walk towards him, loosely holding my beloved weapon. He fumbles in his pockets and pulls out a pistol with shaking fingers, directing it so that the muzzle of the gun is aiming at my chest. A memory flashes before my eyes- _Sam's finger tightens on the trigger and a loud crack splits the air-_ I shake my head to dispel the image and glare at the man. "Put the gun down before you hurt yourself." I scold, tightening my grip on the dirk.

I. Hate. Guns.

The newb isn't even holding it right. His fingers are too spread out. If he pulls the trigger, the kickback will either make him drop the gun or break his finger.

"Sh-shut up! I'll pull it, I swear I will!" The man yells, trembling from blood loss.

I roll my eyes. "I'm sure you will." The man closes his eyes and averts his head. The muscles in his hand tighten as his finger pulls back the trigger. With my greatly enhanced reflexes, it's almost like the bullet comes towards me at super slow speed. I could easily switch to intangibility, but where's the fun in that?

I swing my dirk upwards so that the flat of the blade is in front of me. The bullet slams into it not a second later, and I turn the weapon slightly to direct the projectile away from me. The bullet, instead of burying itself in my forehead, crashes into the brick wall, cracking it.

The man squeals as the kickback dislocates his finger and the gun clatters to the ground as he cradles his hand to his chest.

For a second, we just stare at each other. I raise an eyebrow. "Well, that was highly anti-climatic." The next second, I'm crouching in front of the man, holding him by his throat with my left hand. He chokes and reaches upwards, his grimy fingers grasping at my iron-like grip. His eyes, colored an ugly barf-green, are wide in disbelief and horror.

"You know, you should really think before you attack someone," I comment pleasantly, not looking at him, playing with my weapon. "Because they just might have no qualms about killing someone." My voice turns hard and I lean in, teeth bared. The man flinches and whimpers, leaning away as much as possible. "And why shouldn't I?" I hiss, digging the tip of the dagger into his shoulder a little. "Scum like you don't deserve to walk this Earth."

I lapse into thoughtful silence, my eyes transfixed by the blood dripping down his shoulder. I close my eyes lightly, feeling a little dizzy…

_Even through the (very, very light) sedatives, I can feel the sharp burning pain as the surgeon/scientist drags the knife through my skin, carving a Y shape. I'm highly aware of the cold red/green liquid, my blood, flowing over the sides of my bare chest and dripping to the floor…_

My lips curl up in a silent, disgusted snarl and I unintentionally drive the dagger a little harder into the thug's flesh. He shrieks a little, writhing. I wince at the high-pitched noise and pull the weapon loose. Red blood stains the tip and I breathe in through my mouth so I can't smell the metallic odor.

"When you wake up," I say seriously, pinning the man with my glare, "remember that you asked for it." My fist smashes into his face before he can do anything. The additional pain to his already broken nose causes him to faint, and I remove my hand from his neck, flexing my fingers to stretch them. I lean down and wipe the blade on the guy's pants, cleaning it sufficiently before I allow it to disintegrate in green and black smoke, fading back into my ghost half.

I straighten, standing fully, surveying the alley. Garbage cans are tipped over, spilling their contents on the rough pavement, and the brick walls are cracked in places. The thugs are splayed out in various positions, all of them unconscious. Humming cheerfully, I drag the overcoat off the leader, emptying the pockets. One hundred and twenty-five dollars flutter to the floor, mostly in twenties and fives, along with a half-empty cigarette pack and a small pocketknife. I sort through the belongings, immediately grinding the cigarettes into the ground with my heel and collecting the money instead, tucking it securely in my jean pockets. I grab the pocketknife and draw back my arm to throw it, then hesitate and shrug, also tucking it in my pocket. Why waste a free weapon?

I face the unconscious leader and grin, throwing out my arms. "Congratulations!" I chuckle, aware of the fact that he can't hear me. "You have just been mugged!"

I turn and step over the bodies of the other men, humming again. I pause as I pass Grunt 3. I contemplate for a second, then lean down and carefully lift the pair of shades off the man's face, placing them over my eyes. I smirk slyly, adjusting them so that they hook on my ears. "Your donation is greatly appreciated," I inform him, and then I stride out of the alley, grinning widely, one hundred twenty-five dollars richer and now equipped with a sweet pair of shades.

The hair on the back of my neck suddenly prickles as I near the entrance of the alley and I stiffen, whirling. My eyes scan the darkness and my heartbeat pumps like a jackhammer. Something isn't right. My eyes narrow and I stalk forward a little, probing the shadows. Nothing stirs. I let out a slow sigh, relaxing my stance a little, and turn back around, heading out of the alley again.

Paranoia. It's just paranoia. Somehow, though, I still feel uneasy until I reach the end of the block.

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

Slade repressed a twitch of annoyance as he traveled across the rooftops, his muscular legs launching his body easily over the edge of the buildings. He hated coming out in daytime. It wasn't as fitting and it didn't inspire that instinctive chill of fear in his enemies that the night did. All he'd asked, no, _ordered_ the thugs to do was rob a few banks, nothing too strenuous. He hadn't really even expected them to succeed. They were really just diversions, something to keep the Titans busy and off his trail. If the hired henchmen got caught, well then, so be it. Slade wouldn't create another jailbreak to free them.

A smirk crept up his face underneath his mask at that thought. Ah, yes, the jailbreak. A fantastic success. Cinderblock had managed to bring the prisoner known as Plasmus to his underground lair, leaving mass chaos and confusion in his wake. Plasmus had been woken and immediately shifted to his monster form. The smirk suddenly faded and twisted into a scowl. He'd sent out Plasmus to catch the Titan's attention and see what they were really made of. He really hadn't counted on Plasmus…_losing_.

He hated that word. He is Slade! He does not lose. The mercenary's bad mood was only increased when he silently slowed to a halt on a tall apartment building overlooking a wide, shady alley and saw his hired men lounging calmly against the walls. He snarled silently. Oh, he'd make them sorry they ever chose to procrastinate their ordered task.

Slade viewed them with a practiced eye, observing silently that all of their gazes were locked onto a boy passing in front of the entrance of the alley. Slade tipped his head, narrowing his gray eye as he considered the stranger. The boy was tall and very muscular for his age, and he walked with a certain grace that would have made many army veterans jealous. The boy's hair was black, long, and spiky, draping over his eye and covering it.

Slade lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. A certain aura of confidence and dark strength radiated from the boy. Normally, Slade would have passed the teen off as a regular football jock or something else unimportant, but his instincts told him there was more to the story. And his instincts had never failed him before.

Slade crouched on the rooftop, intending to watch the upcoming scene. It was obvious that the thugs planned to mug the boy. Slade found himself wondering idly how the boy would react in such a situation. Said person suddenly paused at the mouth of the alley, lifting his head a little and glancing into the shadows. Slade's one eye narrowed. He was certain the boy's eyes had just flashed bright, neon green. This was getting very interesting. The boy lifted his arm and glanced at it, as if pretending to look at a watch. "Oh crap!" The boy groaned, shoulders slumping. "Mom's going to kill me if I'm late. I'm gonna have to take a shortcut." Slade smiled a little at the boy's acting skills. He would have been very convincing if he actually had a watch on his wrist. The boy turned and trudged into the alley, head down and hands in his pockets. Slade raised an eyebrow, marveling. Surely the boy could see the men hiding in the shadows? Two of the goons broke away from the group and suddenly drew up behind the kid, trapping him in the alley. It was a typical pincer movement, a tactic often used in the military. Simple, but effective. It left the victim with nowhere to run. The boy pretended to jump at their sudden appearance, a look of apparent surprise crossing his face.

"I'm sorry, sirs, I didn't see you there." He kept walking forward, a (fake) nervous jump quickening his steps. The leader of the group sauntered forward to face him, grinning. "You hear that, Mac? He called you and Damian 'Sirs'! What a young gentleman." The boy halted, and Slade could see him tense visibly. Not in fear, but… as if he was readying himself.

"Um, excuse me, I need to get through." The leader smirked. "What's a'matter, kid? You afraid you'll get a scolding if you late for Mommy?" He taunted the boy, crossing his arms. A flicker of strong dislike tightened the boy's face before he managed to compose himself. His smile widened, baring his teeth, and his bangs shifted slightly, revealing a long thin scar that slashed through the boy's eye.

Slade's lips turned up in a humorless smile. Hmm. Maybe a kindred spirit.

"Oh no, Mommy doesn't care about me, boys."

Slade was slightly impressed by the boy's bravery. Large, muscular men surrounded him on all sides, and yet the teen refused to show an ounce of fear. Well, he was either very courageous or very stupid. This time, however, the boy couldn't hide his anger after his own little retort. It darkened his face, giving him a very threatening appearance. The men laughed loudly, stalking forward and shrinking the circle. The boy stood relaxed in the center. His cerulean eyes trailed downwards and fixed on the leader's spiked knuckle bands. "Where'd you get the bands? Your mommy give 'em to you to chase away the bad guys?" He mocked openly, smiling again. The head thug scowled and increased his pace towards the boy.

"You just made a big mistake, kid."

Slade watched the boy's left foot slide back as he crouched slightly.

"No, actually, you did." Lightning fast, the boy lunged forward, lifting his leg in a perfect, straight high-kick to the man's face, who stumbled backwards from the blow, his nose obviously broken. The man punched the air blindly, hoping to hit the teen. The boy dropped beneath his fists and spun, knocking the thug off his feet. Slade leaned forward slightly, his interest officially caught. The boy's movements were so smooth, so fluidly perfect that Slade wondered if even he could have done better himself. The two thugs that flanked the teen both simultaneously leaped forward, but the boy avoided them easily by back flipping away, unintentionally nearing the two rear men. One of them threw a fist forward, obviously aiming for the back of the boy's head, but he leaned to the side just in time to dodge the blow. The teen gripped the man's extended arm and brought it down upon his shoulder, bending the joint upwards. A disgusting _crack_ cleaved the air and the man squealed and staggered away. Slade's eye scrunched to a slit in amusement. The boy was ruthless. They really were alike.

Slade watched as the boy easily took down the thugs, excluding the fallen leader and his buddy, within three minutes, maybe even two. His one-eyed gaze bored holes into the mysterious weapon the boy had pulled out of nowhere and used to great extent, even impaling one of the thug's shoulders with it. At last, only the boy and the boss were left. The teen stalked forward, playing with his dagger. The leader scrabbled backwards in terror, fishing a gun out of his pocket. Slade tensed. Maybe he should intervene. The boy might be of some use to him…

Slade forced himself to relax and watch instead, arguing that he would need to know how the teen dealt with firearms. The boy halted his approach, assessing the pistol with a cold and calculated eye. "Put the gun down before you hurt yourself."

It was clear that the teen harbored a strong dislike for the man's choice of weapon. But when the thug pulled the trigger, Slade watched in interested fascination as the boy easily deflected the bullet with his blade. Something about the boy was obviously different. Was he a meta-human? The teen quickly knocked out the thug and slipped off the man's coat, emptying it of its contents. Normally, Slade would have felt immediate distaste for the boy. Petty thieves annoyed him. They lacked the finesse and strategic capabilities to pull off anything larger than a common mugging.

But this boy…interested him. Greatly. A mere thief would never have been able to pull off what he just did.

"Congratulations!" The boy chuckled, standing amidst the unconscious bodies of the thugs. "You have just been mugged!"

The teen turned and picked his way out of the alley, pausing to snatch the sunglasses off of one of the men. Slade shifted slightly, preparing to stand. The boy immediately froze and whirled, examining the alley. Slade leaned back out of sight, now officially impressed. The boy had _sensed _him, easily, from that slight movement! There was silence for a few seconds before the sound of tapping footsteps led out of the alley and down the block. Slade stood, clasping his hands behind his back. This was a very good discovery; he would need to start planning soon. Another pawn would be valuable to him. His eye lowered to the unconscious thugs and glittered in contempt. But first, he'd have to deal with these imbeciles and show them what it really meant to displease Slade.

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

It's probably around three or something in the afternoon by the time I make it back to the park. My game plan is: rest for a day, buy supplies at local store, and then head out next morning before sunrise. Then it's simply a matter of fly wherever the wind takes me, preferably very, very far away, and fast.

To be honest, this is probably the longest I've ever hovered in one place without moving. Usually, I'm always flying, only stopping for food and rest breaks. Yeah, it sucks. Badly. Isn't it so sad how I have to live like this? When I look at the _normal_ people, I can't help but feel a little jealous. They get to live their lives peacefully, without worrying about waking up with someone holding a gun to their head. They have beds and homes to return to after work, with pantries full of food.

My eyebrows lower in sadness. They have families. Friends. People to smile and joke around with. People to share their burdens with, people just to _be _with. I don't have that privilege. I can't even _chitchat_ with store clerks for fear that they're spies, or that I might cause them to get hurt!

And don't even get me started on superheroes.

They're different, yet they are able to function properly with society. They even enjoy celebrity-like statuses! Everyone just _loves_ them.

What did I do wrong? Was it the way I presented myself to the public? Was it how I never really stuck around for an interview?

…I'm being too hard on myself. "Just stop, Danny," I murmur, leaning against a thick tree trunk, shaded underneath the green foliage. "Don't think about it." The past doesn't matter. It's said and done, and thinking about how much it stinks won't change anything.

I sigh and move forward again, stepping over a fallen rotten log obstructing my path. Really, right now I'm just heading in a random direction, only keeping in mind that I should skirt the tree where I last slept. I'm sure one of the early hikers has reported it to the police, and they'll be investigating the damaged area of the park soon enough. And the last thing I need is a policeman stumbling upon me sleeping in a tree at the scene of a crime.

The undergrowth gets thicker and lusher the farther away I stray from the footpaths. The trees are taller and closer together, and their branches interlock above my head and form a leafy roof, as if I'm traveling through a tunnel. As I walk, I pull out the small pocketknife I, um, borrowed from the thugs earlier. It's a typical Swiss Army knife, equipped with a small blade, a bottle-opener, nail-filer, and a tiny pair of scissors. The handle is made of dark, smoothly polished wood, and the grain all points the same direction. The miniature knife is actually in very good condition. The edge of the blade is sharpened and the steel is clean, not stained at all. Either the thug took good care of it, or it's new. Probably the latter.

I turn it over in my palm, still examining it. My eyes pick up a few small letters scratched into the surface, and I squint. The wood comes into extreme focus and I can see the word 'Carissa' scratched messily into the surface. My other fist clenches and is suddenly encompassed in emerald energy, twisting upwards in my rage. That man…he stole this from a girl. And it was probably a little girl, too. I feel sick, and I avert my eyes, shaking out the green energy and pressing the back of my fist against my lips to suppress the urge to vomit. Some poor, little girl had probably been…I can't even finish that sentence. The pocketknife slips from my palm and plops onto the forest floor. I imagine if that had been Jazz, terrified, closed in by hulking men…

A snarl bubbles to my lips and I barely restrain myself from flying back and killing those men, like they deserved.

I wonder if they ever found the body.

I force myself to stop shaking in anger and lean down, closing my fingers gently around the object. A feeling of despair crashes over me with the strength of a tsunami. I could've been there! I could've stopped that! And because of me, because of my little depressed self-pitying fest, some little girl is probably dead right now.

It all comes flying back to me. This is why I used to be a hero. This is why I kept fighting even though the public loathed me. So that _that_ never happened to an innocent person. Determination surges within me and a white aura clusters around my body, shifting me slowly to my ghost form. It doesn't matter if they find me again. As much as I hate to admit it, one day I'll be too slow, too distracted, and they'll catch me again. Why waste that time? Why not help the people as much as I can before I'm dragged away again? Maybe, if I did so, then I would be recognized as a hero, and someone would stop the GiW from taking me back to their base.

It's wishful thinking, I know.

_And besides,_ a little voice of doubt whispers in my ear, _is it really worth it? Why should you save the people who scorned you? Is being a hero for maybe a day or a week before they catch you again really worth it?_

My confidence falters for a second, but then my features harden. It will be hard, and it won't be just like 'Oh! I'm going to be a hero again! Yay me!' I'll have to ease myself slowly back into the hero community, and I probably won't stick around much. I won't be stupid and stay in one place.

I'll be like…like a traveling vigilante. Or something. Whatever works.

My thumb rubs the carved name slowly and I tuck the small weapon in my white boots, letting it slip down until it rested underneath my heel.

For now, though, I have some training to get done.

** _..,:;{-};:,.._ **

"I told you, we are **not** getting tofu pizza!"

"It isn't _tofu_ pizza, it's vegetarian!"

"Whatever! They both taste terrible anyway."

"Oh, and like eating slaughtered animals is better?"

"Cooked properly with barbecue sauce, heck yeah!"

Raven groaned and dropped her hand into her hands, wincing as Beastboy and Cyborg's heated argument ground her already frazzled nerves. She'd stayed up late last night, gathering as much information as she could for Robin on the new stranger in Jump City. Which would equal…nothing. They didn't know the boy's name, so no name= no information. Zip. Nada. Zilch. And Beastboy's attempt at searching "Freaky yet awesome boy with white fluttery cape and green dagger and freaking COLD eyes" hadn't turned up any results either.

Raven rubbed circles into her temples with her fingers, closing her eyes and trying to summon her calm state of mind. She took in a breath, then let it out slowly, murmuring, "Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…" over and over again.

"I AM NOT EATING PEPPORONI!"

"FINE! GO SIT IN THE CORNER OVER THERE AND CHEW ON A NAPKIN OR SOMETHING!"

"_WHAT_? NO!"

"Why not, it isn't _meat_, after all."

Raven could almost hear Cyborg's satisfied smirk. Beastboy spluttered indignantly, unable to come up with a retort.

"Guys, can we _please _just order?" Robin complained, still holding the menu. Raven opened her violet eyes surveyed the table. Starfire was next to Robin, who was sitting by the large glass window. Raven, however, wasn't so lucky. She was sandwiched between Beastboy and Cyborg, who were nearly leaning over her in their argument.

"WE'RE ORDERING ALL-MEAT!"

The last of Raven's very short fuse burned up. Her eyes glowed white and two tendrils of shadowy magic suddenly erupted from her body, pushing her teammates away from her. "Just. Order. Now." She seethed, fingers twitching and clawing at the tabletop.

Beastboy glanced over at Cyborg. "Yeah, well-"

Raven gasped as soft, mental voices hit her. Her vision swam for a split second and she clutched at her temple, fighting to withhold her mind as it instinctually tried to fly into the mysterious being's. Underneath her closed lids, her pupils dilated drastically as whispers floated around her head.

Those voices…she remembered them. They had surrounded the boy they had met in prison (which, she realized now, was a pretty sad place to meet someone the first time).

Starfire leaned forward across the table. "Friend Raven, do you have the aching of the head?" Raven tuned out the voices and looked up, standing swiftly from the leather-cushioned bench. "I've got him," she stated, her fingers flexing in determination. She would not mess this up. It was for the team.

Robin tilted his head, confused. "Got who?"

"Yeah," Beastboy snickered, "playing with your imaginary friends again?" Raven blushed slightly in embarrassment as everyone in the eating establishment turned to stare at her at that last comment. Before she could stop it, the menu in Robin's gloved hands was encased in black energy and yanked out of his grip, soaring over the table and smacking Beastboy in the face repeatedly with much force.

"Ow!" He cried, covering his face with his arms. "Cut it out!"

Raven hid the smirk growing on her face. "Is your imaginary friend hitting you with the menu again, Beastoy?" Beastboy ducked under the table, too occupied with trying to escape the vengeful menu's wrath to answer.

"Raven," Robin said, catching her attention again, "got who?"

"The boy. From the prison. I can sense him. He's…close, I think." Robin leaped up, nearly shoving Starfire in his haste to get out the door. "What are you waiting for?" He cried, zipping through the swinging double doors. "Let's go!"

"Go where? I thought we had not ordered yet," Starfire questioned as she floated after him. Cyborg looked up from where he had Beastboy in a headlock, effectively preventing him from escaping the menu, and grinned. "Boo-yeah!" He dragged Beastboy after him from the table.

Raven threw her hood up and flew after him. She was not stupid. She had seen the way the boy had freaked out after he had seen her face. Something about her reminded the boy of someone else, and she didn't want him to run away again.

Raven joined the team out in the parking lot of the restaurant, and Robin faced her. "Do you know what direction he's in?"

"Yes," she said with some irritation. Why did people have to talk so much? She was about to tell them anyway. "Just hold on a sec." She pressed her fingers to her temples and concentrated, casting out her senses. The emotions of hundreds of people bombarded her mind instantly, but she pushed them aside like someone running through a crowd.

Her consciousness contacted something alien. Her mind brushed against it lightly, and she shivered as tingles went down her spine. Though Raven couldn't exactly decipher his thoughts, they were like a great expanse of meaningless drifting. At the moment, tiredness pulsated from the being, along with unsure determination. The scent of trees and wet earth filled her nostrils.

Raven turned slowly, eyes still closed, relying on her empathic abilities to gauge his location. Her eyes snapped open. "East," she said, "in the park somewhere."

"Alright, let's go. Raven, lead the way."

They took off like a rocket, barreling down the street and dodging pedestrians. Raven occasionally changed direction as she led the team, following the mysterious presence. The wispy voices grew louder when she neared the being and faded when she flew in the wrong direction.

At last, she soared over the Park entrance, levitating Cyborg behind her while Starfire carried Robin by his wrists. Beastboy flew powerfully beside her in peregrine falcon form.

Now, she was flying low over the thick forest canopy, her sharp eyes raking the ground through the gaps between the branches. The voices grew louder in her ears. _Determination…hero…guilt…my fault... for her…_They swam around her head like a quiet stream slipping over rocks. A small spark of pride filled her. She'd done it! She was right about to find him, homing in on his location, when-

It vanished.

Raven skidded to a halt in midair, shock rippling through her body. What? It had just been there, only a hundred feet away at the most! Behind her, Beastboy squawked in surprise as he swerved upwards sharply to avoid slamming into her. His form shifted in midair and he fell to the ground like a rock, wailing, "DUUUUUUUUDE!" on his way down. He transformed at the last second into a green bee, and he buzzed back up to them, clearly agitated.

"Raven, what's wrong?" Robin called as Starfire brought him closer to the teen empath. Raven shook her head slightly in confusion. "I…uh…I think we should land."

The team carefully navigated through the treetops and landed on the ground. Beastboy changed back to human and leaned against a tree trunk, glaring at Raven. "What's wrong with you? If I hadn't stopped, you would have been a shish-kebab on my beak!"

Raven narrowed her eyes. "Do you want me to summon the menu again?"

Beastboy cringed and look away.

Raven, satisfied, turned Robin. "I had him," she explained in a monotone, "but then he disappeared. It was so sudden, it surprised me a little."

Robin pounded a fist into his palm. "Titans! Spread out and find him! As soon as you see him, contact the team! Do not take this guy on alone!"

Raven crossed her arms. "What makes you think he's a bad guy?"

"I…uh…fine! Just report when you see him."

At Robin's signal, they fanned out. Raven morphed into her raven-soul form and dove into the earth, traveling through it, occasionally popping her head above the surface to check her surroundings.

The miniscule, barely-coherent thought waves of all the bugs, worms, and rodents pricked at her consciousness, but she ignored them easily, passing by quickly.

A larger, more complex mind entered her range, and she raised an eyebrow slightly. It was human, but it wasn't Robin's. And it seemed slightly scarred; very fragile. She angled herself upwards and shot through the ground, manifesting the shadows and switching to her regular form. She turned, examining the forest around her. Nothing seemed out of place. She closed her eyes, locking onto the source. The human was to her left. Raven floated a few inches off the earth and drifted forward quietly, eyes cautiously flicking side to side. Where was…ah. There.

Oh.

A boy of about sixteen or so occupied a small clearing up ahead. He was very muscular and tall, with long spiky black hair and a handsomely shaped face. He wore a tank top; it was a black muscle shirt that seemed to cling to his very well developed chest and abs. His jeans were dark blue and tucked loosely into intimidating black combat boots. His hands were covered with fingerless black gloves. A black hoodie was slung carelessly over a nearby tree branch.

Raven paused, watching as the boy vigorously completed numerous push-ups effortlessly, the sunlight gleaming on his flexing, tan arms. She averted her eyes respectfully, feeling a slight prickle of shame that she was watching him without his knowing. How stalkerish. Should she just come forward and strike up a conversation? Raven winced. Talking wasn't her forte. The boy suddenly straightened and grabbed the hoodie, slipping it on urgently. "I know you're there, so you can come out now." He stated flatly, not even bothering to turn around. Raven raised an eyebrow, drifting forward. How had he known she was there? She was positive that she had been utterly silent.

Behind her back, she pressed the button on her Titans communicator. A red light blinked twice, silently summoning the other Titans.

The boy turned and she saw his face fully. His eyes were elegantly slanted, the irises an icy blue color that seemed to penetrate into her very soul. Of course, Raven could only see one of them due to the large chunk of hair that hung in front of his left eye. His mouth was a thin, hard line, and his complexion was slightly tanned and perfectly clear.

Raven frowned. He seemed familiar. "Do I…know you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly as she considered the stranger. A brief flash of panic surrounded him before it disappeared and he smirked slightly. "Personally, no. I think I saw you outside the diner a day or two ago." He shrugged.

"Ah, I recall now. You were the one who glared angrily at me." Raven mused out loud as she reminisced.

The boy smiled humorlessly. "Yep. I feel flattered that you seem to remember me." Raven arched a slender eyebrow. Normally, people apologize for rude behavior. This boy didn't seem to care at all.

"So, uh," Raven struggled to keep the conversation going, "what's your name?"

The boy tensed almost imperceptibly, and of course, the rest of the Titans chose that moment to burst in through the edge of the clearing, all of them giving a loud and extremely unnecessary war cry.

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

"Two-hundred and twenty three…two-hundred and twenty four…two hundred and twenty five…" My breath is even and calm, inhaling through my mouth and exiting through my nose in order to align each breath with each motion. My arms bend at the elbows methodically, lifting and lowering my body. I'm hanging about thirty feet off the ground, gripping a large knotted tree branch and completing pull-up after pull-up.

I'm in the two hundreds, but my arms barely ache. I'm much, much stronger in my ghost form, but my arms still wobble with the effort.

Maybe it's because I'm actually upside down, balancing in a handstand on the branch, lowering and raising my body. So maybe they're push-downs? Whatever. My legs are straight and together, and my cloak, thankfully, defies gravity and drifts around my waist area instead of flopping over my head. That would be a funny sight: me, the supposed mysterious new "meta-human" doing…um…push-downs with a cape hanging in front of my face.

My choice of exercise isn't the most extravagant, but it's simple and it works, and it doesn't require any equipment. I bend my elbows slightly, and then push off the branch, launching myself forward. I curl my body and flip three times before straightening out and slowing my descent, floating gently to the forest ground. I sigh in exertion and flip my hood off, wiping sweat off my brow. The only time I'll ever take my hood off is when I am utterly and completely alone.

I unclasp my cloak by twisting the large emerald that pins it at my collarbone and it flutters to the ground, landing lightly in a shimmery pile by my boots. I stretch, grunting as my shoulders and elbows pop and creak as I work out the kinks. My temperature is a little too high, probably from the exercise, and I dip a little into my ghostly core and spread a layer of chilled air over my body, just enough to cool the sweat.

Alright," I murmur, going over a mental checklist, "push-ups, done. Pull-ups, check. Push…downs, yep. Now onto ghost powers…"

I hold out my hand, palm up, and spread the fingers apart as I channel energy from my ghostly core, through my arm, and finally into my palm. My fingertips tingle and begin to glow, spilling a soft green light. I focus on widening the energy and condensing it at the same time. The more compact the energy is, the stronger it gets. It's like this: what hurts more, a loosely packed ball of fresh snow or a chunk of ice?

The green light begins to expand, clustering two inches above my palm into a small sphere. I smirk slightly.

"Just a little more…"

The very faint sound of a heartbeat reaches my ears and I curse, shaking my hand to get rid of the energy. Looking around wildly, I dive for my cloak and quickly pin it back on, throwing the hood up. Now, I can hear the undergrowth rustling as something brushes through it. I frown, flickering into invisibility. It's too large to be a rabbit or mouse, so it must be a human. I curl my lip in distaste. Great.

The rings appear around my waist and travel around my body, shifting me back to my human form. Gravity returns to me, and my boots press slightly harder into the grass under the sudden weight. I dart to the opposite side of the clearing, shrugging my hoodie off and tossing it haphazardly over a branch. I somersault to the middle of the clearing and assume the push-up position, thinking up a cover story.

Okay. I'm out here in the woods because…um…I was…exercising? Eh, it's not completely a lie. I'll say that my mom wants me back before dinner, and I'll politely excuse myself and then leave before anyone asks too much questions.

I have to wait about five minutes before the person comes within twenty feet of the clearing. Immediately, I begin to do push-ups, pretending that I'm working out. The mysterious person pauses and doesn't come closer. Paranoia kicks in and before I can stop myself, I run to the tree and pull my hoodie off the branch, slipping it on, cursing myself mentally. How could I have forgotten? If anyone sees the long, hideous scars that crisscross my arms, they'll ask questions. I, after a moment of hesitation, lower the black hood and allow it to settle on my shoulders. If I left it up, people would only want to see my face even more.

"I know you're there," I call out, not turning around, "so you can come out now." _Or I'll make you,_ I add silently. Another moment of hesitation, and then twigs snap and bushes rustle as the person steps into the clearing.

I turn, and my eyes narrow in surprise and exasperation.

Of. Freaking. Course.

Of all the people on this earth, _Raven_ of the Teen Titans _has_ to find me in the woods. Oh, how the universe hates me.

She and I awkwardly start up a conversation, and she connects me to the boy she saw earlier, when I was at the diner, and I, um, glared at her. Yeah. Embarrassing, but I don't show it and play it cool instead. We lapse into silence and I examine my fingerless gloves as if they're the most interesting things in the world. Then, she asks me my name.

I freeze. Oh crap. I spend, like, five minutes coming up with a cover story, and then I forget to think up a name. Suddenly, I hear the sound of a group of things crashing towards us. I tense even more.

_Agents, dressed in heavy, plated armor with unbelievably huge guns, pound through the forest. They raise their weapons and a multitude of red dots suddenly appear on my chest…_

"I GOT 'EM!" Robin roars as he leaps into the clearing, jerking me out of the memory. I shake my head, still slightly disoriented. Robin slings two disks at me and I stumble backwards in surprise. Instinctually, I sway and avoid the first one, but the second clips me on the shoulder. Instantly, a numbing sensation spreads through my body and I look down to see a thick casing of ice creeping up my arm and proceed to quickly spread over my entire body, effectively turning me into a Danny-statue.

My eyes nearly explode in an emerald green color in my rage. They dare attack me using _my own_ element! I could easily absorb the ice right now by turning it to energy and sucking it into my body, but…well…they'll want to know how I did that. And then there would be lies and suspicions and all that crap.

So now, I have to remain like this. Great. I guess the ice should be unbearably cold to a normal human, but to me, it's actually quite pleasant. The only downside is I can't move my arms or legs, or anything for that matter, at all. My poor arm is twisted awkwardly behind my back from my failed dodge, and I resolve silently that one day I WILL get Robin back for this.

Even though the image is slightly distorted by the ice, I can see Raven yelling at Robin, who looks sheepish, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. I tune in quickly, not wanting to miss this…

"HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO TELL ME HIS NAME AND YOU HAD TO _FREEZE_ HIM! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Raven looks so annoyed and mad right now, I almost want to smile. Almost.

"You pressed the panic button on your communicator! What else was I supposed to think?" Robin protests weakly. Raven stiffens in confusion. "Panic button? I pressed the locator button, not the panic one."

"No, it was definitely the panic one. Let me see."

Raven hands Robin her communicator, which is flashing red every few seconds. He points to the blinking light. "See? I told you!" He grins smugly, tossing it back to her. Beastboy suddenly starts to laugh, walking up to my frozen body and rapping a knuckle on my forehead. "Dude!" He gasps out between giggles, "you froze him! He's like a human Popsicle!"

I melt the ice surrounding my eyes a little, just enough so that it's not noticeable to the naked eye. My eyes narrow and I glare at him, putting as much warning into it as I can: _Get. Away. From. Me. Or. Else._

Beastboy catches my look and steps back nervously. "Is he glaring, or is it just me?"

Raven rolls her eyes. "He's glaring _at_ you, stupid."

Starfire floats over to me, giggling behind her hand as a red blush paints her cheeks. "He is…most muscular." Robin's jaw hits the floor and I almost blush, suddenly feeling very, very self-conscious. Why the heck am I wearing a muscle shirt underneath a thin hoodie anyway? And besides, men don't blush, we _redden_!

"Yeah, well, maybe we should take him to a hospital, so they can, you know…unfreeze him."

I wonder if I'm the only one who can detect the barely veiled anger in Robin's voice. Wonderful. The Titan leader now hates both of my personas. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Cyborg shakes his head in disagreement, stepping forward. "Nah, man, this is our goof-up. I think we should take him back to the Tower and melt the ice off."

"But-" Robin stubbornly insists, glaring a little in my direction. Jeez, he must really like that redhead alien girl.

"Robin. We're taking him back to the Tower. Now." Raven interrupts and pins him with her glare, which he returns, a muscle in his jaw twitching. They have a blinking contest, or so it seems to me, for about two minutes. I must admit that Robin has the advantage since you can't really see his eyes behind his domino mask.

Standing beside me, Cyborg and Beastboy bet on who will win.

Eventually, though, Robin sighs and turns away, waving a hand. "Fine. But I'm not carrying him."

_Like you could, weakling!_ I mentally shout after him, laughing at his skinny arms.

Beastboy groans and hands Cyborg ten bucks, seething, while Cyborg laughs and ruffles the bills gloatingly with his metallic fingers.

I close my eyes as Raven uses her magic to surround us in a flat whirlpool. A shape suddenly looms out of it, and the obsidian shadow of a raven sweeps over us before everything fades into darkness.


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmares and Memories

**Heeeeeeeey peoples! Who wants to know why it took me forever to crack out this chapter? Okay, so the first week I had mid-terms (they suck by they way, although I did score a 94) and then I had a project due that week, and then after that I was gone at a retreat for the weekend, and was unable to bring my laptop with me. So, today I sat myself down and made myself finish this chapter.**

**And guess what guys (or girls?) THERE IS A DRAWING! Deadlydaisy8o8 has kindly created a drawing of Danny in his ghost form, Danny Phantom style. All you have to do is go on Deviantart and search 'Danny Phantom Haunted Memories' and it will pop up. I praise her awesomeness**

**I warn you- it is a rather depressing chapter, and there are mentions of blood okay?**

**All right, review response time!**

**SonOfLucifer: THERE IS A DRAWING! :DDDDDD**

**Daragon10: For some reason, I liked writing Danny beating up the thugs. I was chuckling the whole time as I wrote.**

**Shiva the Sarcastic: Why thank you! I blush!**

**Wings-Of-The-Owl: Hello, friend! Danny did go overboard with fighting the thugs because, remember, he needed money and was strongly biased against the criminals. Also, while at the GiW facility, they trained him vigorously, remember? He's got to have some of a personality change after that. And yes, Danny will commonly say 'you' and ask questions because he's insane, and I felt that this would reflect his personality in the best way possible. Btw, those page break things took me FOREVER to type. I kept hitting the wrong buttons… Also, Danny has run from lots and lots of places. Think, it's the government. They have high-techy weapons. He would have to constantly move. (Private eyes, they're watching youuu! They see your every move! Um…it's a song. Nevermind.) Danny is very strong. I may sound like a total nerd here, but in one episode of Danny Phantom he lifted a whole school bus with kids on it and everything and carried it easily. So I just kind of assumed he was incredibly strong, you know?**

**Cloud9timeforEmu: Yeah, I fixed that mistake. Thanks for the feedback though!**

**Somnialunae: Thank you! :D**

**Karyn Phantom: Hehe, thanks! I look forward to writing the next chapter!**

**Sleepyreader13: I like jerky Danny too (don't tell the others!). Thanks for the review!**

**DizzlyPuzzled: I like long chapters. Unfortunately, this one isn't nearly as long…**

**Random viewer: Every episode happened except for Phantom Planet. That whole asteroid thing NEVER HAPPENED.**

**Dtechno: There will be lots of Beastboy and xbox next chapter, I promise.**

**Zii Raevyn: I love that word- fan-freaking-tastic. It makes me smile.**

**Supaherolena02: I do try to include humor, so its nice that you appreciate that. **

**ChristinCC: Robin shall be getting his butt kicked soon, I promise. Just not at the moment.**

**Unknown: yes, he has his ghostly wail, and eventually I do plan on having the Titans enter his little noggin, but I will include mostly the prisoner memories so everyone knows what the heck happened to him.**

**Deadlydaisy8o8" First, I must thank you for your amazing drawing and wonderfully long review. And guess what- VLAD IS MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER! (Does fan girl squeal and dies of shock).**

**Rookieroo: Thank you! This chapter is kind of dark though, so there won't be as much humor.**

**Arya 54329: thank you!**

**DanPhantomsApprentice: Hey! I've read your story too, it's amazing! Thank you for commenting!**

**Juniperlei: I love Slade too. He's like Chuck Norris.**

**Darkness champion: Thank you so much!**

**ONE LAST THING BEFORE YOU ALL READ! I mean, if you haven't skipped this ridiculously long author's note already. I seriously want to try to get to at least ninety reviews, or more. So all you people who don't normally review, just click the stupid button and leave me a comment. I seriously don't care if it's just a smiley face, just show me that you're reading.**

**I've been thinking about some sort of prize for the hundredth reviewer, like, mentioning their name in the story itself somewhere, like they always show Stan Lee in the marvel movies. SO REVIEW PEOPLE!**

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

Haunted Memories Chapter 5: Old Scars

**_..,:;{-};:,.._**

Okay, so it turns out, un-freezing someone is a lot harder than it sounds.

Here I am in the Titan's living room, watching TV from my icy prison (courtesy of Beastboy, I'll have to thank him later for the entertainment) while the whole team, equipped with high-powered hair dryers, works to get me out. Starfire had offered to use her star bolts to help melt the ice, but I didn't trust her enough, and I went like, "Mmmph? Mmmmph! Mm-mmmph!" to show my disapproval. Hey, it might not have been comprehensible words, but Raven picked up on my nervousness and held Starfire back. That was another thing that displeased me, how Raven could pick up on my emotions. I found out that, while human, it takes much more concentration to keep up my mental walls. Therefore, it was easier to keep them down and only raise them when I needed to shield myself. So now I feel completely vulnerable again.

My eyes stray over to my right, which is where Cyborg is positioned, busily aiming his hair dryer at my frozen right arm. "Mm-mmph-mp-mpsh-monna-may?" I mumble in exasperation, my lips nearly sealed shut by the ice. (Translation: "How long is this gonna take?")

Cyborg glances up and smiles at me apologetically. "I really can't tell what you're saying, man, so I'm just gonna assume that you're asking how much longer until you're outta that ice cube." I stay silent, not even bothering to attempt to provide him with an answer. He rubs his chin with his metallic hand. "Well, the ice is melting already, and your flesh isn't frozen, which is weird, so I say in an hour or so we should be able to break the ice open."

Beastboy cackles from my left side, momentarily poking his head around the ice. "Like a human piñata!"

_Yeah, _I add silently, _except the candy is me punching you in the face. _Robin stands up from where he lounges at the master computer, which is really like a flat-screen TV tricked out into acting as a computer as well. Seriously, where the heck did they get the money to build this tower? The Boy Wonder strides over to me, carefully masking his 'slight' dislike. I, on the other hand, am not one for subtlety. I glare at him openly, though cautious to withhold my anger enough so that my eyes don't flash green.

"So…got a cell phone or something you can use to call your family? You might want to tell them where you are." Robin says awkwardly, picking up a hair dryer and getting to work on my left arm. I roll my eyes. Honestly, does he think I can even answer him yet? My face is covered in ice, people!

"Robin," Raven states from behind me, where she is working on de-freezing my shoulders, "his mouth is kind of frozen almost completely shut. I don't think he can talk to you at the moment."

If I could smirk without the ice pulling painfully at my skin, then I would. Starfire floats higher into the air, aiming the nozzle of the dryer directly at my head. "Perhaps we should work to unfreeze his mouth first so he may speak?" She suggests, pointing at my lips.

The team agrees and shifts to working on my upper body, while I squirm, trying to loosen the ice, but to no avail. I can barely budge, and if I truly wanted to break out of this cold prison, I would have to tap into my super strength a little. Claustrophobia is beginning to set in. I hate being restrained. It drives me crazy. I remember, quite vividly, being strapped down to an examination table, painfully bright fluorescent lights shining in my eyes…

On the TV screen, the show currently playing is some cartoon called _Young Justice, _which is supposed to be based off of the real heroes. It's pretty good I guess, but I quickly get bored after a few minutes. I close my eyes, attempting to force my body to relax. It's obviously going to take awhile until the ice weakens to the point where I am thawed enough to help out, so what better to do than take a nap and recharge?

Oh, and I can plan ways to get back at Robin. Maybe _I'll_ freeze _him_ the next time we meet, while I'm in my Phantom persona. Ha, the irony would be hilarious. Or I could glue his mouth shut with ectoplasm. Maybe I could even overshadow him and make him proclaim his love for Starfire loudly in public.

My brow twitches slightly in a frown.

No, he'd probably like that.

The hard, freezing ice feels like it's pushing down on me from all sides. My heartbeat flutters a little as I begin to panic. Too close! It's constricting me! I close my eyes tightly and force myself to loosen my muscles. I imagine pulling myself into my body (which is a very weird image), retreating into my sub-consciousness. _One…two…three…four…_I count silently, listening to my pounding heartbeat. _Five…six…seven…eight…_My rapidly thrumming pulse begins to slow. _…Nine…ten…eleven…twelve…_My eyes, squeezed shut, loosen a little and I relax as much as possible in my icy prison. Peaceful tiredness weighs down my body, spreading a pleasant numbing tingle throughout it. _Thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…sixteen…_Total darkness overtakes me, drowning out the bright light shining through my eyelids and I feel myself fall into oblivion...

_It was a normal day at Amity Park. I was lounging quietly on a park bench, placed conveniently underneath the shade of an enormous gnarled oak that spread out overhead, making the leaves shine green as sunlight filtered through them. A small, warm summer breeze picked delicately through the trees, and the branches sighed and the leaves fluttered softly. Above me, perched on a particularly low-hanging and wide branch, Sam leaned over and smiled, her glossy black hair falling around her heart-shaped face and framing it beautifully. Her arms draped over the branch and she played absent-mindedly with her black wristbands._

"_So…" she drawled, twisting the rubber, not meeting my eyes. "Got any plans tonight?" _

_Beside me, Tucker glanced up temporarily from his PDA, the glowing screen reflected in his glasses. "I thought we were working on our science fair project at Danny's house?" He looked pointedly at Sam. She shrugged a little and crossed her arms, smiling playfully. "Really? What are we working on again?"_

_I yawned from my spot underneath her and let my head thunk onto the bench. "I think it was something on ghosts. My mom and Dad insisted we try and create something that only harms certain ghosts."_

_A look of surprise and…something else gleamed in Sam's purple eyes before her features tightened in worry. "Aren't you worried? I mean, what if your parents invent something that only hurts you, still under the illusion that you and Phantom are separate entities?"_

_I shrugged, carefree, lazily leaning down and plucking a blade of grass and rubbing it between my fingertips. "Sam, my mom is the only competent hunter of the family, besides myself. And I'm getting better at dodging. I don't think it will be too much of a worry. Besides, after we get a grade on it I'll tweak it so it doesn't work."_

_Tucker grinned. "Sneaky, man."_

_Sam rolled over the side of the branch and landed with cat-like grace on her feet. She checked her watch, then brushed hair out of her eyes and turned to face Tucker and I. "Let's go to Danny's house. I've got a surprise I want to show you." She smiled warmly, but the sweetness didn't reach her eyes. I frowned a little and reached out to touch her elbow. "Are you okay?"_

"_Don't touch me!" She snapped, jerking away. I blinked in shock and Tucker gave her a warning glance, though for what, I didn't know._

"_Sorry," he said tightly, "Sam's probably on her peri- OOF!" Sam drove her elbow into his gut and Tucker leaned over, his face resembling a puffer fish as he sucked in air. I roared with laughter and Sam's posture loosened slightly as she smiled a little._

"_Let's just get this over with," she said, turning on her heel and striding down the sidewalk. Tucker fixed his glasses on his face nervously and followed, clutching his PDA to his chest. I frowned again, tipping my head slightly. Something seemed…off with them._

_My hand reached into my jean pocket before I knew what I was doing and I fingered the ornate ring. It was made of black, heavy steel, with a blood-red ruby fixed into the top. Intricate carvings of tiny fluttering bats surrounded the beautiful gem. I had found it about two months ago at a city fair, nearly at half-price. Still, the ring cost me around a hundred or so bucks, almost all of my savings from the odd jobs I did around town, like walking dogs or mowing lawns or whatnot. _

_It was for Sam. _

_I had originally meant to give it to her when I first bought it, but shyness prevented me from doing so. Now, I had a gut feeling that tonight was important, and I knew just what I had to do to make it perfect. I was going to ask Sam to be my girlfriend. Tucker always called me clueless, but I knew more than I let on. I just wasn't sure how to talk to Sam about it. I mean, what if she didn't even like me back?_

_I realized they were already thirty feet ahead of me, heads together as they discussed something heatedly. I rolled my eyes. Where they arguing again? Silently, I ran up to them, wanting to hear a snippet of their conversation._

"_-Call O already?"_

"_Stop worrying, everything's in place."_

"_What if-"_

"_What if what?" I asked, grinning as I leaped in front of Tucker. Sam tensed and Tucker made several hilarious faces of surprise and dread. He swallowed. "What-what did you hear?" I shrugged one shoulder, still smiling deviously. "Are you guys throwing a surprise party or something?"_

_It would make sense. My birthday was in a couple days. Tucker slumped visibly in relief, letting out a long sigh. Sam smiled but moved to elbow Tucker in the stomach once again. "How did you find out?" She asked, an innocent pout playing her lips. _

"_It's kind of hard not to. I could hear you guys from all the way back there." I tapped my ears. "Remember? Enhanced senses?" Sam laughed hollowly and punched me on the arm. "You ruined the surprise!" She said, crossing her arms._

"_Well…maybe we could just blindfold Danny before he goes into his house. You know, so he won't be able to see anyone hiding? That way, everyone jumping out will surprise him." Tucker piped up, now typing on his PDA with the stylus. Sam's beautiful amethyst eyes gleamed. "Great idea!"_

_She swung her spider book bag around so that she held it by the straps and began rummaging through it. A second later, she pulled out a purple bandana, embroidered around the edges with black spiders. "My grandmother got me this last year as a good luck charm," she explained, already moving to tie it around my eyes, "I just haven't really found a use for it until now."_

"_Um, alright." I agreed, a little alarmed. Why did Sam sound so strained, and Tucker so nervous? Was something wrong? Sam pushed me forward playfully. "Come on, birthday boy, let's get you to your house." _

_We were only about a block away from Fentonworks. I marched forward, Sam and Tucker occasionally guiding me to the left or the right around obstacles, and eventually Sam made me stop at the foot of the cement stairs leading up to the front door. _

"_Wait here," she whispered, "I have to go make sure everything is ready." She moved away, and I heard the sound of my front door opening and closing while Tucker stood beside me, shifting from foot to foot. I turned blindly in the direction I thought he stood. "Are you okay dude? You and Sam both seem so nervous." Tucker clapped me on the shoulder. "Sorry man, I guess I am a little nervous."_

"_About what?" I pried stubbornly._

_There was a stretch of silence, and then Tucker said, in all seriousness, "For your party."_

_Before I could ask him what he meant, the door swept open and Sam bounded down the steps. "Everything's ready!" She whispered excitedly, tugging me forward. I smiled a little at her enthusiasm, eagerly following her up the stairs while Tucker lagged behind slightly._

_Sam threw the door open and pushed me forward. I stepped across the threshold, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck raise. Something felt wrong. Very, very wrong. My fingers twitched and my battle-refined instincts practically screamed at me to run._

"_Happy early birthday Danny," Sam said sweetly. The sound of a multitude of guns clicking off of safety shattered the silence._

I jerk awake, gasping, twitching, dry heaving, sweat dripping down my forehead. I jack-knife to a sitting position, wanting so badly just to run, to get away from the repressed memories. I throw the soft woolen blue blanket off of my body and swing my legs over the side of the sofa, already tensing to move.

I stop dead. (Hah, get it? Dead? There are so many puns I can use, and-just, uh, never mind).

I'm lying…on a couch. A very big, plushy, soft couch, complete with a fluffy pillow with a small indent in the middle where my head had been resting. My head turns around as I take in the unfamiliar sight. My heartbeat picks up. Where am I? How did I get here? The last thing I remember is being encased in ice, and somehow falling asleep and then…the nightmare.

No, not a nightmare. A memory. I lean forward, propping my elbows on my knees, and bury my face into my hands, still shaking slightly. _No!_I say fiercely, my fingers curling into claws. _I will NOT have a second breakdown in front of the Titans!_

Wait…Titans? I groan and scowl slightly in annoyance. I'm at their tower. Great. The one thing I've been trying to avoid is getting caught by any superhero of any kind, and what do I do? Oh no, I can't just get captured by _one_ hero…I had to attract a whole _team_ of them!

I pound my forehead lightly with my fist, thinking. Maybe I can escape, before the Titans enter the room. I can just slip away and no one will ever know what became of me. I nod my head, slightly. "Okay, okay, good idea, now…"

The sound of mechanized steel doors sliding open stops me mid-sentence. Numerous pairs of feet tap into the room, heading towards me. A tired sigh escapes my lips. Of. Course. All right, it's official. The universe officially hates me.

"How are you feeling, man?" Cyborg's voice sounds near me as he swings himself over the couch and plops down near me. I edge away slightly, almost not even noticeably, my heart pounding again. _Too close…too close…_

I'm not much of a people person anymore. I like privacy, solitude. You'd think I would hate being alone, after they subjected me to sitting in an isolated ghost-proof box, no stimuli, wrapped securely in a straightjacket. On the not so rare days they were in a bad mood, they played the Barney theme song over and over again while I sat in the darkness. I'm not joking. They were testing how I responded to certain things, like forced solitude or stupid songs. Sometimes, they even put animals in the box with me. If I strain, I can still hear the skittering sound of tiny claws on metal and feel the rats creeping over my legs.

I conceal a shudder, shoving the memory to the back of my head. "I'm fine. How long was I out?"

Beastboy speaks up, and I twist to see him better. Always keep an eye on your enemies. "You've been conked out for about a week or so." He says, a serious look on his face.

"A week?" I nearly scream, causing Cyborg to lurch away in surprise. I leap to my feet, clenching and unclenching my fists. Raven lifts a thin eyebrow and Robin tenses, his gloved hand slipping towards a pocket on his utility belt. I resist the urge to claw at my hair. A week! How am I not dead yet? Surely _they_ would have locked onto my ecto-signature and found me by now? Paranoia begins to set in, and my heartbeat fluctuates madly.

The Titans are evil, I know it! They're working for the GiW! I have to run, have to get away, have to escape-

Raven winces and presses a finger against her temple, gritting her teeth. "Will you calm down? We're not going to hurt you."

Beastboy chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Eheh…yeah, dude, it was a joke, you've only been out for about two hours." An overwhelming sense of relief swamps me and my posture loosens slightly. Good. Even the GiW, as impressive as their tracking machines and ecto-seeking devices seem to be, are not capable of tracking me down in just two measly hours. Even so, the thought of a whole squad of white-clad troops surrounding the Tower…I twitch a tiny bit before I can bury the thought. Then I remember: Beastboy _lied_ to me! Indignation pierces my heart, as sharp as a black thorn. Rage begins to build inside me, and I have to close my eyes so they don't see them flash green. A joke. A JOKE? Does he think this is a joke? If he knew what I've been through, he wouldn't dare say anything like that. If he knew how many times I've been lied to…like, for example, when scientists preparing to partially dissect you alive assure you constantly that it won't hurt. Or when your best friend looks at you with admiring eyes, inching closer across the couch cushion…

I jerk my thoughts away from that dangerous path and attempt to suppress the rage, channeling it into reserve energy instead of lashing out at the green changeling. _He didn't know,_ I tell myself over and over again, _he __**doesn't**__ know what you've been through…_

Even so, the thought of being deceived makes me feel sick, and I notice that my hand is shaking slightly. I flex it to dispel the shudders and clench it tightly in a fist.

"Please," I say quietly, turning to look him right in the eyes, "do not ever. Do. That. Again." I inhale deeply, focusing…_in…out…in…out…_

Beastboy looks slightly put off now, and his long pointed ears droop as his eyes sadden. "Sorry," he murmurs, anxiously kneading his hands in his lap, "I was just trying to lighten the mood. It was too serious for me." He grins sheepishly, and I force myself to smile a little in return, the corners of my lips quirking upwards slightly. It probably looks like more of a grimace to him though. It seems I've almost forgotten how to smile. "It's fine," I lie, acting nonchalant, as if I hadn't just almost had a breakdown. Robin strides around the couch to face me, the white slits of his eye-mask narrowing in suspicion. "Why did it bother you so much?" He pries, but I can hear the underlying curiosity coating his words. He really doesn't seem malicious. But then again, Sam and Tucker hadn't seemed very malicious either.

"My…uncle would be very upset if I had truly been missing for a week," I hesitate, almost using the word 'parents', but that pains me too much, and 'uncle' seemed to just drop off my tongue before I could stop it. A true smile pulls at my lips. "He's very protective."

It's true. Vlad…the man is more like a father to me now. All those months I spent hating him…when he truly did care. I'm just ashamed it took me a little while to figure that out. The only reason he ever tried to hurt me was to make me stronger. In all honestly, if I hadn't gone up against Vlad at least once a week, I never would have been forced to improve. And that whole cloning ordeal…Vlad admitted later to me in private that it had been a mistake

A saying flits into my head, _'Copying should be considered a compliment, because it shows that you have something worth taking,'_ and my smile widens fractionally before fading a little. I haven't seen Vlad in weeks, and I can honestly admit I miss him. And while I'm away, I know he's busy trying to run the-

"Ahem." Robin awkwardly coughs, bringing me back to the present. I blink, and then shake my head, the smile now officially gone. Could it be true…am I really recovering? I mean, think about it! I've smiled, for real, in front of total strangers! It used to be where I couldn't smile at all, and Vlad would just watch concernedly while I looked out a window morosely, brooding. A spark of hope ignites in my chest, a tiny wavering flame that wobbles at the slightest breath. Maybe I can get better after all.

Before Robin can try to catch my attention again, I stand, arching my back and cracking it, letting out a groan. "Aaah…being frozen into an icy block can really take it out of you," I say, just for the pleasure of watching Robin redden in embarrassment. Raven elbows him in the side, and he shoots her a look of quick annoyance before he turns back to me. "Yeah, about that…I'm sorry." Raven nods slightly in satisfaction. Robin is not finished however, and carries on stubbornly. "I just didn't expect a regular teen to be alone in the middle of the forest, working out." The sarcastic suspicion in his voice is so evident he might as well have just accused me outright.

One of my eyes pop open and I face him, scowling slightly. "It's fine, I didn't expect to be frozen either, so I guess we're both ignorant." I counter, crossing my arms and smirking slightly. Beastboy gives a little high-pitched laugh and I almost wince as his annoyingly high voice grates painfully against my ears. "Good one dude!" He slaps me on the back, still cackling.

What happened next was a blur.

_Hand moving-threat-leg sweep, immobilize opponent-_

My glazed eyes stare emotionlessly at the small green teen now shoved forcefully against the far wall. My brain races, exploiting possible maneuvers and attacks to subdue the threat as quickly as possible with the least amount of damage to myself, all the while assessing the opponent before me. _Incapacitate with a blow to the collarbone._

My right hand raises, the fingers pressing together so that my palm forms a flat surface, like a blade. Dimly, I can hear shouting and people pulling on my arms, but I only see the green changeling's surprised face in front of me.

"Move!" A voice snarls, and footsteps rapidly approach me. "His mind is on autopilot or something, I need to get to him!"

Something cool touches my arm slightly, and I flinch, automatically predicting an incoming blow and tensing my body to brace myself for the pain.

"Put him down, now. You don't want to hurt him." The voice says calmly, and I blink, struggling to sort out her words. But the changeling was trying to attack me! I have to protect myself! Even so, my death grip on the boy's throat eases slightly and he instantly morphs into a bee, buzzing his way out of my hands and to the other side of the room. My arm falls limply to my side, and the mist clears. I stagger backwards, gripping my head as a shard of pain rams itself into my brain. _IDIOT!_ I scream mentally at myself, _YOU LET THE PROGRAMMING TAKE CONTROL! YOU ALMOST HURT SOMEBODY!_ My breath comes in short gasps and I shake my head, sliding to my knees as awareness of my surroundings trickles back to me. The Titans are crouched in defensive positions in front of their youngest member, looks of angry protectiveness on their faces. I can't say I blame them. I mean, I just attacked Beastboy!

When I was a prisoner at the GiW base, they sort of…brainwashed me? It wasn't completed, though, because otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. I somehow managed to fight it when it was halfway completed and sort of went …well, berserk, nearly demolishing the entire base and killing countless staff. I managed to reach the vast woods that bordered the facility and gouged the chip out of my arm using a sharp rock. I fled into the ghost zone, where Clockwork showed up with the huge news that apparently I-

"WHAT THE HECK IS YO PROBLEM, MAN?" Cyborg bellows, taking a step forward. I curl even more in on myself, fighting the hot tears building in my eyes. _It's not my fault!_ I wail mentally, cowering, fighting the sobs. _They did this to me! They broke me like this!_ _I didn't mean to! I DIDN'T MEANTOIDIDN'TMEANTOIDIDN'TMEANTO-_

"Back away from him, he needs some space," Raven commands quietly, ushering the team further away from me. Beastboy rubs his throat, and even through the blurry tears in my eyes I can see dark purple marks in the shape of a handprint beginning to form on his neck.

"Dude!" He whispers in terrified awe, his voice slightly hoarse and pained, "What the heck was that all about?" Raven looks at me and a second later something touches my very soul, my core, and I lash out mentally, pushing her away just like I did when the scientists tried to turn me into their perfect little soldier._ GET AWAY!_ I roar, throwing up shield after shield after shield, encasing my mind completely so nothing can get in.

She takes a step back, amethyst eyes wide. Robin leaps forward into action, grabbing me by my hoodie and throwing me against the wall, much like I just did to Beastboy only moments ago. Normally, I probably would have broken his arm right then and there for even touching me, but my head feels like someone is hammering a railroad spike into my brain. Multi-colored lights flash before my eyes, bursting and exploding like silent fireworks.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Robin snarls furiously, his eyes narrowing to white slits. My whole body is shaking, and the room seems like it's spinning all around me, tilting up and down. _I want to tell you, but I can't! You'll get hurt! I'll get hurt. I can't tell anyone! I can never share this burden I have to carry…I wouldn't wish that on anyone! _I find myself babbling incessantly in my mind instead of speaking aloud, unable to get my lips to move and form coherent words.

"Robin! Put. Him. Down. Now!" Raven growls, her body radiating dark energy. Somewhere in the kitchen, a glass explodes and remnants of the object tinkle to the floor. Robin twists his head to look at her.

"He just attacked Beastboy!" He accuses loudly, and I wince. _My mind is gone, leaving me with only animalistic, feral instincts. I turn to look at the shaking scientist cowering in the corner, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His glasses slide down the bridge of his nose, but he doesn't make a move to push them back up to their original position. His hair is matted and tangled with dried blood and lightly dusted with debris. He crouches in the corner of the last two walls standing. An insane grin pulls at my lips and I begin to laugh while tears stream down my face, staggering towards him and lighting up my hands with burning ectoplasm, aiming my palm at his rapidly pulsing heart._

It's becoming harder to tell what's real. Am I back in the destroyed lab in the GiW facility, or am I in the Titan's Tower, being half-throttled by Robin?

…Both of the settings suck.

_My prison rags are dripping in blood, my own and others, and I sob so hard that I writhe on the flat rock's surface for breath. My fingers claw at the stone, the pointed and unclipped nails chipping and breaking. "Get it off!" I howl, tears dripping off my face, splashing to the boulder and staining the rough granite. The moisture runs in tiny rivulets down the craggy surface, bleeding black against the rough gray. I reach up with trembling fingers and pry at the washed-out gray fabric covering my chest, just wanting to pull this ache out of my heart. I **hurt**. There's just no way to put it delicately. The shocks come again and my mouth opens in a silent scream, my back arching as flickering bolts of electricity jump up and down my body. My eyes, blurry with tears, flick over to the riverbed, catching sight of the sharp rocks littering the shore next to the river. If I can just cut the chip out, the pain will stop, I know it will!_

Someone is carrying me, and my face is propped against something hard…metal? I think my eyes are open, seeing images, but I can't understand them. Flashes of deep blue…a rush of red, green, and yellow, (what, am I at a traffic light now?), a glint of pulsing blue and white…a blur of emerald green…a streak of red and purple…

"No…" I shudder…still somehow fighting the tears as I watch the hazy forms of the scientists coming towards me, sick grins on their faces as they brandish scalpels and surgical knives. My heart cracks and unexpectedly shatters with the sound of breaking and smashed glass, and I watch the shards twist and tumble as they fall though the blackness, spinning, their curved surfaces reflecting flashes of color. I squint and peer closer. No…they show images. Memories.

I watch, petrified, unable to move, as I see myself, fighting hordes and hordes of GiW agents swarming in my house, all dressed in heavy white-plated armor that would make Ironman jealous…my parents are there too, fighting alongside them, and I watch as, even while they shoot at me with their guns, their faces twisted in hate and disgust, I try to avoid them. I try not to hit them too hard or injure them in any way.

Because they're still my parents…right? I love them, and they love me. I love them so much with all my heart, loving them so greatly my whole body tingles with its force. The scene then unexpectedly dissolves, and I'm suddenly fourteen again, lying in bed, staying home from school because of the flu. My mother sits beside me in a wicker rocking chair, calmly rocking back and forth, repairing a broken Fenton ecto-pistol. I turn my head to look at her, smiling faintly. The blankets are comfortably warm and my pillow is cool, and I want nothing else than to lay here and bask in the sweet golden rays of sunlight pouring from my window and falling in yellow strips across the floor.

Mom hums quietly to herself as she carefully navigates a spring into place, glancing up through her short curtain of red hair to check on me. She smiles widely after seeing me, completely awake, and puts down the half-fixed weapon on the seat of the chair. Standing, she taps across the floor and comes to sit at the foot of my bed, her added weight dipping the mattress slightly.

"Hey honey," she whispers quietly, her cool hand finding mine under the covers. "How are you feeling?" I yawn loudly in response and snuggle deeper into the blankets, closing my eyes teasingly. She laughs, a soft chime-like sound, and leans forward, brushing the back of her hand against my face.

"Oh no you don't, I just woke you up, mister!" She tosses her russet hair behind her ear. "You fever's gone down a little, but I think you should take some Advil just in case."

"Mmkay," I murmur drowsily, utterly relaxing in the pure bliss of the moment. Mom stands and begins to walk for the door, leaving. My eyes shoot open in realization and my body locks up for a second.

"WAIT!" I nearly scream, sitting up so quickly I almost get whiplash, stretching out a hand, fingers splayed. She whirls, eye wide, racing back to my bed.

"What is it honey, what's wrong?" She questions quickly in motherly concern, her purple eyes flicking up and down my body and searching for any obvious signs of illness. I begin to tremble, unable to stop the tears building in my eyes.

"Do you love me?" I whisper, sounding so small and young that I almost believe I'm six for a second. A broken remnant of a memory flashes before my eyes- Mom and I playing in the fallen leaves in the backyard, the brisk chill of autumn stirring the bare, gnarled branches of the trees.

She gapes in surprise at the question, her mouth moving soundlessly as she searches for an answer.

My trembling increases to the point where I'm almost rocking the bed with my tremors. I lunge forward and grab her slender hand, almost crushing it in my frantic grip in my haste to reassure myself that this is real, that she is here next to me.

"Do you love me?" I repeat more urgently this time, resisting the temptation to shake her by the shoulders until she replies. My heart is beating erratically in fear and anticipation. I need to her say it, I need to feel her gather me in her arms, I want to bury my head on her shoulder and release all the tears and desperation and loneliness I've felt for so long.

I just- I need- _I want a mother again_.

Slowly, a warm smile pulls at her lips as she gently tugs me from the blankets, pulling me into her embracing arms, offering protection from this world.

"Oh sweetie," she murmurs into my hair, combing her fingers through it gently. I hide my face in the crook of her neck and shoulder, grasping the fabric of her shirt so tightly my shaking knuckles turn white. The greatest relief I have ever felt sweeps over me and small tears begin to course down my face.

Thank God, Thank God, Thank God…

Very, very carefully, she pries my death-grip off her shoulder, shifting slightly so she can see my face. Her purple eyes dance in love and kindness as she gently traces a finger down one of the tear tracks. My heart expands in joy. It's over-it's finally over. I have a mother again, I have a home, everything will go back to the way it was before-

Suddenly, her finger tightens into a claw, digging into my cheek painfully, and I gasp in pain. Her face twists in pure contempt and hatred as she shoves me off her lap and I fall awkwardly to the floor. Outside, black storm clouds block the sun and rain begins to lash at the window pains, hissing like some great beast anxious to get in the house.

She leaps to her feet, pointing a finger at me, the nail curved and sharpened like a claw. "Why would I love you?" She hisses, stalking forward. "You're nothing but a piece of unwanted, filthy ghost scum!"

Tears splash down my face as the world around me begins to crumble. "But-but-I'm your son! You're my- you're my mother! Please, mom…I want you, I need you to love me!"

Her hand flashes out and I feel a sharp stinging pain on my face and a sharp slapping sound echoes around the room. I fall back on my elbows, staring upwards in shock as her form takes on a grotesque, demon-like appearance.

"You are not my son." She snarls, and then her foot draws back and swings forward, connecting with my temple. Bursts of lights explode across my vision. A wave of icy water crashes over me, and I sputter, heaving for breath as I free-fall through the darkness, twisting limply, numb in shock.

"_Try it again, I think he's waking up…" _A voice advises from somewhere far away, quiet and echo-ey as if I'm hearing it from the end of a long tunnel. Another wave of unbelievably cold water splashes against my face, dripping down my clothes and hair in streams. I shudder and gasp, my eyes shooting open.

I find myself sprawled out limply on the floor of a bathtub, water pooling around my arms and hands where my legs block it from escaping into the drain. My heart is pumping, and I feel adrenalin and shock from the temperature of the water surging through my veins. My feet itch to run. I cough weakly, blinking rapidly as my pupils dilate and adjust to the dim bathroom lighting.

Cyborg is leaning over the edge of the tub, an upturned bucket held in his robotic hands, drips of water still forming on the rim and splashing onto my forehead. They begin to talk, all at once, asking me questions and the like, but I just lay back, closing my eyes, chest still fighting for breath.

A nightmare. It was a nightmare.

Inside of me, another piece of my heart shrivels up and dies.


	6. Chapter 6: Spar

**Hello friends! I'm too tired to write anything funny at the moment, so I'll get on the review responses. As always, I don't own Danny Phantom or Teen Titans.**

**Ex10: Your comment made me laugh so hard tears came to my eyes. How true. I commend you for your sense of humor.**

…**But Chuck Norris is still awesome.**

**SonOfLucifer: If you liked the pic, you should comment on it to show the artist your appreciation! Thank you! And that last part…intimidated me a little…:D**

**DizzlyPuzzled: Hey, today's not Monday! It's SUNDAY! HAHAHAH! This one is a little bit longer, I assure you.**

**DanPhantomsApprentice: Thank you! Oh, and I read your story D Phantom of Jump City, and Time Masters Apprentice.**

**Unknown: Oh wow, thanks! :D**

**Wings-Of-The-Owl: Okay, can I just call you Woto from now on? I always type your name wrong…ahem, anyway…The animals in the box thing isn't really much of an important detail, though I might have Beastboy transform into a rat later on and freak Danny out. And I love your limerick, by the way. How long did it take you to make that?**

**Shiva the Sarcastic: Thank you, I was trying to get you readers emotional so that you begin to realize how Danny is still a child in some ways. Thank you for the compliment.**

**Rookieroo: Wow, thank you! :D**

**Deadlydaisy8o8: Squee? Heh, I love that word. Sorry to disappoint you or anything, but this will be a DannyxRaven fic. However, I hate when romance dominates the story, so it won't get too intense or that "Kiss me, my love!" kind of thing.**

**Oh, and by the way...there's a fight scene this chapter…**

**Poseidonchic123456: Okay, okay, I'm updating!**

**Arya 54329: Thank you. I like writing emotional chapters.**

**Juniperlei: Thank you for the review! **

**Honest Lunar Raven: I like angst scenes, what can I say? Don't worry, Danny will heal, somewhat, as the story goes on.**

**Umbra8191: Thank you!**

**Cloud9timeforEmu: There is a reason Sam and Tucker and his family betrayed him, and it will (eventually) be explained, I promise.**

**WolfassassinKing:Thank you!**

**Unknown: Raven did catch a few scenes, don't worry. And by the way, Dani Phantom will be coming in later, BUT SHE WILL NOT BE A MAIN FOCUS OF THE STORY! Personally, I'm only bringing her in because if I didn't, there'd be plot holes.**

**Random viewer: You'll find out eventually, don't worry.**

**ChristinCC: Yes, yes he does…**

**Somnialunae: Wow, thank you, hehe!**

**Lord Edric: I hope I explained that in this chapter…what happened was that they thawed out his mouth a little first so he could breathe, and the transportation to the Tower really only took a few seconds. Thank you for the compliment!**

**Zii Raevyn: I love your emoticons!**

**Darkness champion: Thanks you very much!**

**THEE IZ AWESOME: Hehehehe, thank you! You review was very motivational.**

**Dtechno: It was a little short. What happened is this: Danny attacked Beastboy because of a half-finished brainwashing attempt done on him while he was at the GiW facility. Fearing himself, he begins to have a mental breakdown, and dreams about his mother, and the Titans wake him up by throwing water over him. Got it? Good.**

**RaDiaNTFreezez: Thank you!**

**CjaMes12: Thank you, and all will be explained eventually….**

**Alright, enjoy, peoples!**

Haunted Memories

Chapter 6

"Here you go, man," Cyborg says cautiously as he hands me a large, crimson red mug filled with steaming hot chocolate. I take it gingerly with my fingertips, ignoring the immediate burning sensation that accompanies my hold, and murmur a thank-you to him. My hair still drips slightly from the bucket of cold water Cyborg threw over my head to wake me up a few minutes ago, and my clothes are damp, slightly wrinkled out from when I rung them out as much as I could. I look down morosely at the hot beverage that I cup in my hands, watching wisps of steam curl from the rich brown liquid, staring unseeingly at the mass of thin froth that swirls in the center. Instinctively, I breathe deeply through my nose, closing my aching eyes and drinking in the incredible scent. With my heightened sense of smell, it's like I'm literally inhaling the stuff. My heart pangs hollowly. How long has it been since I last had a cup of hot chocolate? I think it was quite a few months ago, when I drank a mug of it in celebration of Christmas at a Starbucks, somewhere in New Jersey. I suppress a slight shudder of sadness and lean forward over the cup, hunching my shoulders a little. The nightmare I had when I passed out still flickers in front of my eyes, like a broken film reel, playing over and over again.

Something warm and soft drapes over my shoulders, and Starfire drifts around the couch, anxiously twining her slender fingers together, her eyes twin pools of concern.

"You looked cold," she murmurs quietly, slowly settling on the couch, her legs folded. My eyelids lower in sadness and I squeeze the cup slightly in my hand.

Sad is an understatement.

"Thanks," I mutter flatly, not willing to make eye contact with the alien girl. The rest of the team joins us, leaning over the back of the couch or sitting next to me, this time more careful to give me a wide berth. My eyes squeeze shut as a slight sigh escapes my lips. I just want to be alone right now, to tell the truth. I don't want to have to deal with the questions that are certain to come with their company.

"Look…I'm really sorry I attacked you and all, and that I caused you to…pass out, or something. It was an accident. I just don't understand why you attacked Beastboy like that," Robin says sincerely, uncomfortably gripping the couch cushions. I shrug slightly, my lips pulling upwards in a humorless smile, hidden by the spiky black hair framing my face.

"It's fine. I…apologize for attacking you, Beastboy. It was sort of instinct for me. I don't like being touched without permission first. You just caught me off guard," I reply, stifling my pride long enough so I can make amends. Beastboy unconsciously touches his bruised throat for a second before he grins.

"Nah, it's okay dude. I shouldn't have slapped you on the back like that, especially when you weren't expecting it."

I shake my head wordlessly in wonder at his forgiving nature, feeling a slight pang of envy for his child-like innocence. I wish I could be that pure, that ignorant.

I lift the mug to my lips and tilt my head back, gulping the hot chocolate noiselessly, striving for something to occupy myself with. _Mmmmm…_my eyes close lightly in utter bliss as the scorching liquid races down my throat, filling my insides with warmth.

I pull it away with a sigh and smile, wiping the dribble of hot cocoa off my chin. "This is amazing," I comment quietly, smoothly changing the direction of the conversation, turning the mug in circles in my hands. "I don't think I've ever had such good hot chocolate before."

Cyborg's barrel chest puffs out in pride as he grins widely in appreciation. "Thanks, man! Nobody can make hot chocolate like I can!"

I nod in agreement and smile a little at his enthusiasm. Robin clears his throat suddenly and a flash of irritation pulls my face into a grimace, before I plaster the emotionless mask over my features once again. A devious glint enters my eye and I take another long draught of the cocoa, pointedly ignoring the Boy Wonder.

My ears catch the soft grunt of impatience that he makes before he clears his throat again, louder this time. I turn to face him slightly, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"I'm sorry, but are you sick? That sounds like an awful cough you've got there," I say innocently, putting on a look of concern. He flushes a little in embarrassment, and then crosses his arms.

"Okay, I don't mean to pry, but is there a reason you passed out? If you have any medical issues, we might have to take you to the hospital. I know we chiseled a hole in the ice so you could breathe, but maybe you just didn't get enough air…?"

My eyes widen and I'm certain that my pupils dilate drastically at the mention of a hospital-_white washed walls, ominous needles and tools lined up neatly on surgical trays, agonizingly bright fluorescent lights, the smell of antiseptic-_

"That won't be necessary," I grind out between my teeth, fighting the panic. "I'm perfectly fine, I was probably just…disoriented from the ice." The lie slips off my tongue easily, and I feel a small knot of guilt form in my stomach, weighing me down as if I'd swallowed a rock. What did these teens do to deserve my deceit and problems? Why must I always lie?

I narrow my eyes, thinking, staring contemplatively into my mug. What if …what if I told them? What if I explained my whole story, even including the ghost portal and my early hero-ing adventures? Would they help me? They seemed like nice people, so maybe I could trust them…

And besides, almost no one becomes a hero because they want to. It usually takes some tragic event in their past to motivate them, and God knows I've had enough tragedy. They would understand…right? They wouldn't turn me in to the GiW.

Well, if they did, I could easily beat them, (I love you duplication), but not without sustaining at least some damage to myself. Not to mention the GiW and Jack and Maddie would be right on my trail again.

_Just wait,_ I tell myself,_ wait until you're absolutely positive that you can trust them._

A pair of feet, enveloped in stylish, loose blue slippers walks into view. I look up, arching an eyebrow in surprise. Raven stands before me, her head tilted down slightly to view me better.

"I saw glimpses of your memories while you were asleep in the ice," she says bluntly, her purple eyes glittering in suspicion and…concern?

I stiffen, narrowing my eyes, barely suppressing my rage. "Why were you in my head?" I ask in a very controlled voice, reinforcing my mental walls even as I speak. Her breath hisses out in aggravation as she realizes what I'm doing.

"What are you so secretive about?" She barks out, actually breaking her usual monotonous kind of voice. "What do you need to hide?"

"Nothing, but I rather like my privacy. Don't you?" I counter her question smoothly, taking note of the way she flinches slightly at the last part. She rubs her temples and sighs quietly.

"I'm…sorry, I didn't mean to invade your mind, the memories kind of sucked me in, actually. And I only saw up to the point where you stepped through the doorway of the house. Everything became shrouded in anger and fear after that."

Great. Thanks Raven. As if Robin wasn't suspicious of me enough already.

I force myself to laugh, an easy-going grin passing over my face. "Oh yeah, haha, I remember that! I tripped after I came into my house and smashed my face on the floor. Believe or not, I was peeved at the floor and scared that my nose was broken, not to mention that everyone jumped out right after that and nearly freaked the pants off of me."

I'm a convincing liar when I want to be. Have I mentioned that yet?

Raven just snorts softly and turns away, clearly knowing that she won't get anything else, (at least, not anything truthful), out of me. At this point, the rest of the Titans are just glancing back and forth between us in confusion. I quickly finish the last of my hot chocolate and stand, itching to get out of this stuffy room. The wool blanket slips off my shoulders and falls to the cushions.

"Where's the sink?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder. I can easily see the part of the room furnished to look like the kitchen, but I need something to break the awkward silence. Beastboy springs to his feet and trots ahead of me, still smiling for some reason.

"Over here, dude, just follow me." As he passes by, I can't help but wince at the ugly bruises decorating his throat like purple stickers, and my shoulders slump in shame. I still can't believe I lost control like that. If Raven hadn't intervened, I probably would have killed the poor kid, and all just because he slapped me playfully on the back.

I trail after him into the kitchen, uncomfortably aware of the other Titans' gazes drilling holes into my back.

He stops beside the stainless steel double sink, and I place my empty cup in it so quietly you can't even hear the sound as it contacts the metal.

Gathering up my courage and banishing my prideful nature for a second, I turn back to the changeling. "Um…I really am sorry…about…" I motion to his neck. He grimaces a little and winces.

"I have to say, man, your grip is way stronger than I would have thought." He grins, his dark green eyes lighting up in amusement.

"Yeah…um…want to play Xbox?" I curse mentally as soon as the request slips out. The heck? Where did that come from? I'm supposed to be distant and cool, not buddy-buddy with them!

But my annoyance vanishes the second I see his face break out in an even larger grin.

"Dude, seriously?" He squeaks, already running for the couch. "Let's go!" I tilt my head slightly and smile a little; feeling satisfied that I've found a way to make it up to him. Cyborg stands quickly, looking surprised.

"You're a gamer? Sweet! I call playing winner!" He turns to face me, his human eye sparkling in amusement. "Which means I'll probably be playing you…um…?"

"Danny." The name slips out from my lips before I can stop it. If I were alone, I would be bashing my head against the wall, yelling at myself. It seems my skills are starting to slip. I'm opening up; I'm revealing myself like a turtle coming out if its shell. As of now, I can't really decide if that's a good or bad thing. On one hand, it's good, because it means I'm starting to recover from my lengthy time in the facility. However, if they find out too much, I run the risk of being handed off to the GiW.

I'm jerked out of my musings when Beastboy tosses a game controller into my hands as he falls over backwards onto the couch. I run my thumb over the heavy plastic, staring at it in wonder. I haven't played an Xbox game in forever. The weighty device feels uncomfortably large in my hands.

"Got any preferences?" Beastboy asks, grinning goofily.

"Doom?" I ask quietly, smiling faintly at the memories of staying up until three in the morning playing that game. His jaw drops in surprise and he whistles.

"No way, that's like, my favorite game ever!" He leans over and grabs a game case resting on top of the coffee table, snapping it open and popping the disk out.

"Let's do this!" He crows, fist pumping, before he hits the power button on the console and slouches back on the couch, instantly zoning out as he stares at the awesome TV screen. Robin sighs and stands, wiping his gloved hands on his pants before walking out the door, calling over his shoulder, "We'll talk more later, I guess."

I smile smugly to myself at this, knowing that I successfully stalled the conversation. Raven floats into the air and grabs a heavy, brown leather book off the table before leaving the room wordlessly. Starfire smiles hugely, so big I wonder if it's possible that her pleased grin could pop off her face

"I shall go make the Tamaranian dish of 'making up'!" She announces and flies into the kitchen, her long red hair fanning out behind her like a crimson banner. Seconds later, I listen to the sound of items and kitchenware rustling as she rummages through the cabinets. Cyborg sits next to me to watch the game and I tense, warning bells ringing in my head. Thankfully, he notices this and shuffles a little bit further away.

On the screen, bright neon letters flash; 'ROUND 1-BEGIN!'

The map takes us to a deserted wasteland, and I fumble for a second with the controls, re-learning which buttons do what exactly again. Quickly, my old skill picks up again and I grin cockily, climbing on top of a pile of broken down cars and peering through the sights of my sniper gun.

Beastboy's character comes charging around a tall clump of dead, yellow grass, blissfully unaware of that fact that I have him trapped in my crosshairs. Cyborg lifts a hand to his face to hide the smirk. My finger twitches as I consider pulling the trigger right there and then, but then I dismiss the idea.

It's not as fun if I end it too quickly.

I make my character silently leap down from the broken mound of junk and prowl after Beastboy, who has stopped next to a stunted, twisted scrubland tree, turning around as he searches for me. Before he can catch me in his view, I jump into the tree, climbing into the lower branches.

Beside me, Beastboy growls in frustration and takes his eyes off the screen to glance at me. "Where are you?" He asks irritably.

My only response is a cheeky grin as I tip forward off the branch and land with a small thump on the ground, flicking my knife out of its sheath that straps to my leg. Beastboy's eyes widen in recognition and he hurriedly jerks his character around, only to get a direct slash in the neck, a one-hit kill.

I stretch my legs out and place my arms behind my neck, closing my eyes and smiling slightly as I listen to his shouts of surprise.

"No fair, dude! I wasn't paying attention!"

I crack open an eye and narrow it to a slit. "Do you think in the real world your opponents wait for your complete attention? Nothing's fair, Beastboy." My face tightens and a haunted look enters my eyes. "Nothing."

Beastboy looks slightly creeped out by my sad, reminiscing face. "Um…okay…" I shake myself and grin brightly, clicking the button to put away my knife. "It's fine, Beastboy! Let's keep going!"

Okay, wow. My happy tone of voice sounds forced even to _me_.

Beastboy and I play another few rounds, (I won five out of six), before Cyborg leans over and snatches the controller from Beastboy's hands.

"My turn, grass stain. Move over!" He bumps Beastboy off the couch and takes his place, ignoring Beastboy's indignant cries from where he lays sprawled on the floor. I just simply close my eyes, feeling comforted just by listening to other voices, besides my own, speaking.

Cyborg switches to his profile character and we begin, playing another five rounds. Cyborg is good, I will admit, better than Beastboy, and I end up only beating him by one round or so. By now, my eyes, unused to staring at a glowing screen for so long, are aching, and I feel a slight headache building up in my temples.

"Okay, what map do you wanna play on next?" Cyborg asks as he flicks the analog stick with his thumb, scrolling through the options. I open my mouth to answer, but my stomach grumbles slightly, the noise carrying in the air. Cyborg grins and raises an eyebrow, stretching and dropping the controller on the coffee table.

"Maybe we should get some food for you first."

I nod in agreement, my stomach contracting in longing. That big breakfast I had at the diner yesterday is nothing but a faint memory. Cyborg vaults over the couch with one hand and slides into the kitchen area, tying a 'Kiss the Cook' apron around his waist and adjusting a tall chef's hat on his shaved head.

"So, what can Chef Cyborg cook up for you today? Ribs? Steak? Cheeseburgers? We have a few potatoes, so I think I can whip up a batch of home-made French fries…"

I swallow the drool in my mouth and curl in a little tighter on my aching belly. "Anything," I breathe out hurriedly, salivating, "anything, I'm really not that picky."

"Hey, make something vegetarian for me!" Beastboy cries out as he scrambles over the back of the couch. I watch in amusement as his foot hooks in the cushions and he falls forward, flailing his arms, faceplanting on the floor. I lean down and offer him a hand, pulling him to his feet. Immediately, he runs forward, pushing Cyborg out of the way and placing tofu bacon ingredients on the countertop, snatching Cyborg's hat off the robotic teen's head and setting it on his own.

"Okay, so we have tofu eggs, tofu bacon, tofu toast, soy milk-"

"WE AREN'T VEGETARIANS!" Cyborg body tackles him to the floor, rolling with him into the next room. The muffled sounds of their argument reach my ears and I sigh, flicking the stove-top on and warming the pan, cracking the eggs into it with expert accuracy, careful not to drop any pieces of the egg shells into the pan. It's been a long, _long_, time since I last cooked anything, but the cooking lessons ingrained into my brain by my 'mother' are too prominent to forget in just a few years.

'Now Danny,' she always used to say as she skimmed the pages of our stained, old cook book, 'if you want to woo a girl, you've got to know how to cook. We girls are total suckers for good-looking men with flairs for gourmet.'

I smile faintly at the memory as I lightly dust the sizzling eggs with pepper and salt. I slide the pan's lid back on and move on to the bacon, heating the countertop griddle. Half of the griddle is devoted to normal, thick-sliced bacon, while the other half is tofu bacon for Beastboy.

I wince as a particularly loud crash rumbles from the hallway, shortly followed by Beastboy's cry of pain and Cyborg's faint shout of "_NOOGIE_!"

Okay, eggs done, bacon cooking, now on to the toast. I pull the bagged loaf of sliced bread from the cabinets and pop eight pieces into the large toaster. Grabbing a fork, I flip over the frying bacon so the other sides can cook evenly.

I step back, satisfied, as dinner begins to come together. While the bread toasts, I set the bar table countertop with plates, forks, knives, and cups that I pull from the drawers. The bacon finishes cooking, and I carefully lift the strips from the griddle to two separate plates, one for the tofu bacon and the other for the regular. I cover both platters with a section of paper towel to help retain the heat.

I pull the pan with the fried eggs from the stovetop, keeping my hands from being burned by tapping into my ice powers a little. I set the pan next to the bacon on the counter.

Opening the fridge door, I jump back in surprise as a mass of weird goop rears a head-like lump and roars in a high-pitched tone of voice. For a second, we stare each other down, and my mouth hangs open.

What do these people _eat_ around here?

A small, bitter laugh slips from my lips as I recall my mom's radioactive Thanksgiving Turkeys. I'm guessing this is Starfire's earlier 'Tamaranian dish of making up'.

Carefully skirting the curious little creature, I pull the 2% milk from the built-in ledge, along with the soy milk, placing the two cartons on the table. I pull a stool out from under the countertop and sit down just as Cyborg suddenly bursts into the room, smiling triumphantly, dragging Beastboy in by the scruff of his jumpsuit,

"I win, Beastboy! I'm cooking today-" He stops abruptly upon seeing me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. I glance up from where I sit at the table, scooping eggs onto my plate, a pleasant smile on my face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted to cook? It's just, I thought you might be a little too preoccupied with, you know, fighting."

Beastboy squeals in happiness when his eyes alight on the tofu bacon, eggs, and soymilk. "Dude!" He exclaims, sprawling into a chair as he bites into a piece of bacon. "This is amazing!" Cyborg cautiously picks up a piece of normal bacon and scrutinizes it professionally for a few seconds before swallowing the whole slice in one gulp. He burps loudly and pats his stomach, looking satisfied.

"Man, that is good!" He turns and runs up the stairs leading to the mechanical sliding steel doors, calling over his shoulder, "I'll go get the others!"

"You do that," I yell back to him, sipping from my glass of milk and nibbling on a piece of buttered toast. Honestly, it feels good just being able to sit down and eat. Usually, I just stop by a take-out place and eat on the fly. Not to brag, but eating a Big Mac while flying at hundreds of miles per hour requires a lot of skill.

A few seconds later, the doors part again with a quiet hiss as they slide back into the walls and the rest of the team enters. Starfire looks joyful as she soars over her friend's heads and hovers in front of me, clasping her hands to her chest.

"Did you make this wondrous feast, friend?" She inquires, smiling warmly. I wince at her use of the word 'friend'. Am I their friend? I mean, basically, I've just acted like a freeloader so far; I slept on their couch, played their games, and ate their food.

Raven floats noiselessly past me, heading straight to where a black tea kettle sits on the stovetop. She pours herself a mug of the hot liquid, and I inhale deeply as the relaxing smell of mint fills the room. She sits at the far end of the bar table, next to me, actually, clasping her hands around her teacup. I raise an eyebrow. "Aren't you hungry?"

She glances up at me and our eyes connect once again, but this time, I am able to suppress my shock at the stunning likeness between her and Sam.

"No thanks, I'm still full from lunch."

I shrug and use a strip of bacon as a spoon to shovel eggs into my mouth, focusing on the leader. Robin keeps looking between me and the steaming food, trying to keep the suspicion off his face. An amused smile flits across my pale face.

"It isn't poisoned, you know," I remark quietly, nodding towards the food. Robin sits down quickly, pulling a plate towards him and transferring food from the warm pans to it.

"It's not that," he explains as he pours himself a cup of orange juice, "it's just that we rarely have family dinners like this. Usually, we just eat on the go." He laughs shortly. "The villains of Jump City don't like to let us rest."

I play with my eggs with my fork, staring at the table. "My family used to share dinners like this nearly every night," I share quietly, remembering how we used to joke and mess around until our sides split from laughter.

Robin arches an eyebrow. "'Used to'? What happened?"

My gaze hardens and I grip the fork so hard the metal begins to bend, and I quickly relieve some of the pressure. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Stupid detective instincts.

Robin raises his hands in a gesture for peace, backing off. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to pry." I roll my eyes and finish off the last of my milk. Yeah right.

I turn my attention to the alien Starfire, who is enthusiastically squirting mustard all over her eggs, toast, and bacon. I watch in horrified fascination as she then unscrews the cap of the bottle and dumps the rest into her glass. The yellow condiment dribbles unappetizingly down the inside of the glass. I curl my lip and lean away slightly as the sharp smell wafts towards me. Starfire notices my look and smiles, holding out the tall yellow bottle.

"Would you like some mustard, friend?"

"Um…thanks, but no thanks."

She shrugs happily and pours the rest into her cup, lifting it to her lips and slurping noisily.

Silence reigns over the table as the rest of the Titans finish eating. I entertain myself by playing with my fork, spinning it expertly in between my fingers like a baton. Beastboy's eyes sparkle and he leans over the table, watching my little show interestedly.

"Dude, where'd you learn to do that? That's really cool."

I shrug, tossing it in the air and catching it by one of the prongs, twirling it in my palm. "Taught myself. It really isn't that hard." I motion Beastboy over and he drags his chair next to me, resting his elbows on the table.

"You just hold it down with this finger while this one props it up as a counter-balance, so the weight is distributed evenly. Then you push down with one finger, upsetting the balance, and move it over to the next finger, repeating the process."

Beastboy looks at me as I had just grown two heads, lowering his eyebrows in thought as he tries to decipher my meaning. I roll my eyes, smiling a little. "Just move your fingers up and down."

Beastboy picks up his own fork and tries it, fumbling clumsily with the steel utensil. He manages to make it hop two fingers before it clatters to the floor. I grin at Beastboy's crestfallen look and shake my head. "That was pretty good for a first try."

Beastboy's chest swells out in pride and he leans over, picking up his fork and trying again.

Robin stares at me in intrigue and asks, "Do you take karate?"

I furrow my brow, confused by the total randomness of his question. "…What?"

He motions to the fork held loosely in my right hand. "I don't know, it just looked like you knew how to use a bo-staff, so I assumed that you knew karate, since you typically use that kind of weapon with that category of fighting."

I tilt my head back and laugh a little, shaking my head. "You read way too much into things. But yes, I know a little karate and some tae kwon do."

Robin leans forward, smirking slightly in challenge. "Aw, come on. You have to know more than just a little, judging by the complex maneuver you used earlier to get Beastboy pinned to the wall."

I wince a little at that, struggling to keep my anger in check. _Calm down, Danny…Robin doesn't know how it wasn't your fault that you were practically brainwashed...well, mostly..._

Robin mistakes my silence for fear and his smirk grows wider. "Why don't we have a fight? You know, just a little duel, for fun's sake." As if on cue, he pulls a compressed bo-staff from a pocket on his belt, clicking a button on it with his thumb. The shaft extends suddenly with a small whirring click until it reaches a length of five feet. Everyone, including myself, watches quietly as he lays it on the table calmly, leaning back in his chair with an arrogant smirk.

"No thanks." I tell him tensely, desperately controlling my breathing and heartbeat. Oh, how much I want to kick that little fool's butt into next Friday to show him he isn't as high and mighty as he thinks he is… My vision swims for a second as I find myself falling into a trance again, everything spinning in a blurring haze of colors as the programming begins to set in…

I wrench my thoughts away from the image of Robin, sprawled limply on the ground while I stand over him, victorious. My hands tighten, as I have to hold myself down to my seat so the programming doesn't make me lunge forward.

Okay, there's no way I can fight Robin right now. My emotions and thoughts are all messed up by the earlier Beastboy incident. If I were to spar Robin right now, I would probably end up killing him.

"Come on, are you scared of losing?" Robin challenges, his posture tightening likewise. My eyes are closed, my body rigidly poised on the edge of the seat.

More like I'm scared of taking it too far.

"No," I reply calmly, a smirk curling the corners of my lips, "I just don't like making little girls cry."

What can I say? I love sarcasm.

Beastboy and Cyborg chorus "_OOOH"! _together and exchange high-fives, laughing and smiling goofily.

There's a screech of metal on metal as Robin stands abruptly, pushing his chair away from him.

"What, do you think you're weak or something?" Robin scowls, planting his hands on the table and leaning forward. I crack open an eye, staring at him disinterestedly.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, it's failing utterly," I inform him, calmly lacing my fingers together, grinning internally. Okay, screw my earlier thoughts, this was going to be so much fun…

Robin's face drops any shreds of friendliness left, leaving only competitive determination.

"You, me, gym, now." He grates out, seething.

Ten minutes later finds us facing each other, twenty feet apart. The other Titans press themselves to the sides of the walls so that they're out of the way, watching through stunned, wide eyes. Even Raven seems a little surprised at how quickly our little spat escalated.

I balance on the balls of my feet, letting the pads of my toes sink deeply into the thick, cushiony mat that spreads out along the floor, placed strategically in order to reduce the risk of injury from impact. Robin loosens his body posture into a fighting stance, his limbs bent at specific angles, already prepped for movement. I roll my eyes and idly pick at my fingernails.

Cyborg steps forward, raising his bionic hand into the air. "The participants of this match are Robin and Danny. Neither are equipped with any weapons-" _except a whole slew of ghost powers, _I add mentally, "-and the match lasts until one challenger is pinned by the other."

So basically, like a thumb war, but with our whole bodies.

"And…begin!" Cyborg's hand swishes through the air to accentuate his statement.

Robin immediately dashes forward, a fierce, silent scowl marring his features. I hum lazily to myself, rocking back and forth, waiting…

Robin dives forward into a handspring and pushes off with his hands, launching himself forward feet first, aiming directly at my face. Milliseconds away from impact, I swiftly turn to the side, watching his body whiz past me. His feet hit the wall and he bends his legs and straightens, pushing himself off the surface and rebounding towards me again.

And again, I move to the side, fluidly dodging his pitiful attack with perfect grace.

He lands and performs a neat shoulder roll to avoid injury, halting his momentum so that he can upright himself to a standing position. He twists to face me, scowling darkly.

I smile innocently at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Have we started the match yet? Hold on, I wasn't ready."

I adjust my stance so that my left foot is slightly drawn back, bringing my arms up close to my body. "Okay, I'm ready now, let's go."

Robin charges forward again, an enraged and frustrated yell tearing itself from his throat. His right arm snaps up in a punch, which I deflect with my forearm, and then he follows that up with a high kick to my face. I lean to the left to avoid the incoming blow and grab his foot as it extends past my shoulder. His eyes widen and I smile pleasantly before throwing him over my shoulder like you would toss a bag of trash over your back.

He sails through the air and just manages to right himself before he hits the floor, landing clumsily on his feet. I look at him in distaste. If this is all the _leader_ of the Titans can offer, then it's a wonder the city hasn't been overrun yet.

"If you want to save your dignity, we can stop now," I tell him, shrugging carelessly. Do I expect him to take me up on that? Heck no. The kid's got too much of a prideful ego to back out humbly.

"This is far from over!" Robin snarls, punching a fist into his palm. I snort.

"Well, I should hope so, I mean, we've only just begun. If it was over, that would just be kind of sad…"

I unexpectedly lunge into motion, performing a forward handspring and launching myself into the air, snapping out my legs and twisting my body. Robin just manages to jerk backwards out of the way of my deadly helicopter kick. I land lightly on my feet, still balanced, and immediately drop to avoid a kick from Robin, aimed at my chest. I spin, using my leg to sweep Robin off his feet.

The Boy Wonder lands on his back, and I listen to the sound of his breath leaving his lungs as he struggles to suck in air. He gasps in a breath after a few seconds and places his hands on the ground, heaving himself into the air by way of a Chinese push-up.

Tch. Show-off.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you _that_ hard…" I console him worriedly, certain that there will probably be an ugly bruise on his back tomorrow.

"I'm fine!" Robin snarls, smoothing his spiky, gelled hair back with a hand. Obviously, he doesn't like pity. His hand falls back to his side and he suddenly leaps into a barrage of attacks, his limbs snapping out and coming at me so fast even I have slight trouble evading them. He pushes me back and I give ground, waiting for an opening between his attacks. One of his punches unexpectedly clips my shoulder, with nearly all of his force packed behind it.

A disgusting _crack_ rings out in the air and Robin drops to his feet, suddenly looking horrified and very white as the blood drains from his face. I raise an eyebrow and look down at my shoulder, reveling in the way it is now awkwardly bent at a very weird angle. Starfire gasps and Cyborg's eyes widen as he breathes out, "Man…"

I poke the appendage, eliciting a pained groan from my lips. Hm. I never knew my arm could twist that far. Cool.

I turn an accusing stare on Robin, placing my good hand on my hip. "You jerk!" I growl, pointing a finger on my good arm at him. "You knocked my arm out of its socket!"

Raven hurries forward from the sidelines, already encompassing her hands in a soft, pulsating blue glow. I wave her away.

"Nah, it's fine, just…hold on a second…" I grip the shoulder, wincing slightly at the waves of agony cascading from the limb, and take a deep breath, steeling myself for it…

_SNAP!_ I push on the limb in a specific point, jolting it back to its original place, ignoring the Titans' gasps of sympathetic surprise. I roll my shoulder, trying to get the muscles in their rightful places again. My advanced healing kicks in and the torn muscle tissue repairs itself quickly while new energy floods into my body.

It will look suspicious if my arm is perfectly fine after such a harsh blow, however, so I nod for Raven to come over to me. "Okay, do your magicky-healing stuff now…"

She raises a delicate eyebrow at my selection of words, but complies, gently touching my swollen shoulder. I sigh in content as a cool chill drips down my arm, repairing the limb even further.

"That's like…like an internal ice-pack," I breathe, looking at her in reluctant admiration. "Awesome!" The corner of her mouth twitches upwards before she hurriedly withdraws and drifts back against the wall, throwing her hood up to hide her face.

Robin takes a hesitant step forward. "I am so sorry…I hadn't…I didn't mean to…I just- HOLY CRAP!"

He barely raises an arm in time to block my high kick. I land a punch directly on his chest and he stumbles back, looking stunned. I crack my knuckles aggressively and bare my teeth.

"What the heck? Your arm was just pushed out of its socket! _Why do you want to keep fighting_?" He yells in rage and helpless confusion. A dangerous smile curls at my lips.

"Because, you haven't lost yet."

I leap into the air, kicking at his head. He catches my foot and holds it tightly. I twist viciously, tearing the limb from his grasp, and lash out with my other leg as I turn. Too occupied to block, Robin only has time to widen his eyes in surprise before my bare foot smashes into the side of his face.

Knocked off balance, he staggers away, his hands immediately going to his head to massage the lump that is sure to be forming.

Perfect.

I dart forward again, this time going on the complete offensive. My arms and legs are a terrifying blur as they strike from all angles. My fighting style is hard to describe. It isn't fully acrobatic-based, nor does it involve many close-combat attack techniques. The best I can describe it as is like a blend of both.

Robin, to his credit, manages to evade most of the strikes, but he is caught off guard when I catch his wrist and pull him close enough so I can forcefully thrust a fist into his gut. He doubles over, his mouth forming an O as he struggles to breathe. Without hesitating a second, I knee him in the face, withholding much of my strength.

Could I have broken his nose?

Heck yeah.

Did I?

No.

Did I want to?

…Maybe…

Nevertheless, he staggers backwards and trips on his own feet, falling over onto his back. I walk over to him calmly, extending a hand to help him up.

"Had enough?"

He growls and pushes my hand aside, forcing himself to his feet.

I roll my eyes, smirking. "So be it." Quicker than lightning, I grab Robin by the collar of his jumpsuit and hoist him into the air, twisting his body around and crossing his arms, pulling them tight so that they act as a straight jacket. I push him against the wall, listening to his grunt of discomfort as he turns his head to the side to see me better.

"Okay, how about now?" I offer, wiping the smile from my face. In the real world, Robin would be dead right now. Criminals and super-villains wouldn't hesitate to use this opportunity to cut off his head.

"…Fine." I release Robin's arms and he turns around, rubbing his forehead, where a spot is already starting to discolor into a nasty-looking bruise. We stare at each other wordlessly for a few seconds, before Robin breaks out in a huge smile.

"Where did you learn to fight like that? That was amazing!"

I shrug and return the easy-going smile, the lie slipping from my lips without any trouble. "I told you, I know karate. Been taking it since I was a little kid."

I like this lie a lot much better than the truth. Because I think if I had told him what really happened- scientists, tracking trip surgically placed in my arm, being shot almost daily to 'up my pain resistance'- he wouldn't respond very well.

Robin playfully punches me on my left arm, maybe with a little more force than necessary. "Well, you have to spar with me again sometime, some of the moves you used were really interesting." I laugh shortly and return the punch, even harder, watching in satisfaction as he winces slightly.

"No problem, dude."

Another lie. As if I would share my fighting techniques with a possible enemy.

Starfire approaches us timidly, as if shocked by our vicious duel. "Forgive me friends, for I am unfamiliar with the ways of earth, but…do all males solve their disputes by way of fighting on this planet?"

Robin and I share a glance.

"Heck yeah! We're guys. It's what we do."

"Yeah, we don't do that girly soap opera, dramatic, huggy, and mushy gushy heart-to-heart stuff."

Raven huffs and rolls her eyes as if she disagrees with that last statement.

Beastboy walks towards us, his eyes bulging in admiration.

"Dude, that was STUNNING! You _beat_ Robin! No one's ever been able to beat him when we spar!" I notice in amusement that Robin stiffens at that statement and scowls slightly, as if he had the taste of something sour in his mouth.

I shrug indifferently, inwardly smirking. "Who knows, maybe I got lucky." Beastboy opens his mouth to comment when a sudden loud noise cleaves the area and the room's lights start flashing red.

"Aaaaaagh!" A low cry of pain escapes my lips as I clutch at my ears, eyes watering. That stupid noise! My eardrums feel like someone is shoving my ectoranium dagger in them! I restrain my senses back to that of a normal human's, sighing in relief as the intensity of the volume of the noise recedes a little, along with the ringing pain.

Robin shoots me a puzzled sidelong glance, but then shakes his head and dashes forward, through the steel doors of the gym, calling over his shoulder, "Alarm's going off!"

No freaking duh.

I roll my eyes in exasperation as Beastboy, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire follow Robin into the hallway at top-speed, leaving me alone in the room. My curiosity spikes, along with my sneakiness.

The Titans are occupied right now. Maybe I could creep around and find out if they're enemies or allies while they're busy…

A devious smile pulls at my lips and I slip through the doorway, peering down the left and right of the corridor. I don't have the faintest idea where anything is located in this stupid Tower, so I opt to just choose a random direction.

I swivel on my heel and begin to set off down the hallway to the right, when a voice stops me.

"The common room is in the other direction."

I freeze and mutter a silent curse, shielding my emotions and thoughts as I slowly turn around. Raven floats a couple feet in front of me, arms crossed over her chest, dark purple eyes narrowed.

"You don't have to keep shielding from me, you know," she points out, flicking a strand of hair behind her ear in annoyance.

I keep my face playfully innocent. "Shielding? Who, me?"

Her posture tightens and she hisses, "Stop acting dumb. It doesn't suit you."

I bow mockingly. "Why thank you, I'm flattered."

She blushes slightly, and struggles to keep the angry look on her face. Suddenly, she sighs, slumping against the wall, shoulders lowering in weariness. "Look, I don't know who you are, or if you're even telling the truth about your name. But let me warn you-"

She looks up, and for I second I see her eyes flash a bloody, chilling shade of crimson.

"-If you do anything that hurts my…friends, _you will regret it_."

Okay, even I was a little intimidated by that show. The shade of her eyes when they glowed red, it just reminds me about…him. I shudder internally as I think of my alternate future self, the monster.

Ugh. Bad thoughts, don't think about them, Danny…

I look her straight in the eyes, smiling sadly, bitterly. "You should know that I can't stand being betrayed, either. I won't bring any harm to your friends."

You know, unless they turn out to be traitors or the GiW storm into their tower and tear it apart looking for me. If it turns out to be the former, well, then I'll tear them apart-gladly. No one will ever make me go back to that place. I would rather die than be dragged there.

Nevertheless, I need Raven to trust me right now, if only so that the other Titans don't suspect me as much as being the white-cloaked being they met at the prison compound. I lower my mental shields slowly, a little hesitant to let Raven see into me, but it's necessary.

She doesn't say anything for a second, and then slowly nods her head as she senses my sincerity. I breathe a silent sigh of relief. She turns and pads away noiselessly, calling over her shoulder quietly, "You should come with me."

I clench my teeth in annoyance but follow her anyway. Oh well. There goes my investigation plans. I follow her down a long hallway, around a right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, left, right, until, finally, she stops outside the doors leading to the main room. The mechanized steel panels slide open smoothly and I walk through the doorframe, raising my eyebrows at the scene before me. Robin is hunched over the main computer, tapping furiously on the sleek keypad attached to the gigantic TV/computer bolted to the wall. Starfire floats over his head, clenching her hands into fists. Emerald light occasionally escapes the gaps between her fingers. Beastboy stands near the computer, a look of determination steeling his face. Cyborg's arms are crossed over his chest, and he glares with his human eye venomously at the screen.

Raven descends to the floor and walks the rest of the way, until she stands next to the semi robotic teen. Robin turns to face us, looking greatly annoyed. "It's Dr. Light. He's robbing the Westfield Bank." He directs his gaze on me. "We'll go take care of it, so you can just stay…I mean, you can come and watch if you want."

My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah Robin," Raven cuts in, grinding her teeth, "what was that?"

Okay, ouch. I know I'm not too trustworthy, but come on, Raven! Sheesh, that was cruel.

Robin looks at her levelly. "If he's going to be staying at the Tower, he should know what we do and how we do it."

I wave my hands wildly in the air. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. 'Staying at the Tower'? What the heck? When was this decided?"

Robin stares at me, the white lenses of his mask narrowing to slits. "Just now. You're homeless, aren't you?"

My heart begins to hammer. How does he know? _HOW DOES HE KNOW?_

As if sensing my thoughts, he crosses his arms and says bluntly, "Your clothes are ripped and dirty. We found you alone in the middle of the mark. You haven't even tried to call a guardian yet. You know how to fight, probably learned it off the streets."

Okay, he's got most of that right.

Oh, I hate that little brat.

I glare at him murderously; hating the looks of surprise and pity the other Titans are shooting me, except Raven, whose face is carefully blank.

"So what if I am?" I hiss, clenching my hands, highly aware of the way they began to heat up, the palms starting to glow. "Why are you making me stay here? I'm sure there's plenty of other homeless kids who would just _love _to stay here with you Titans."

Robin takes a step forward, a hand subconsciously reaching for a compartment on his belt. "I don't know why you wouldn't want to," he snarls, "unless of course, you have to something to hide."

I forget to breathe for a second and my heart ceases to beat as I stare at him in loathing. Great. Now if I try to leave, they'll know something is up. Then they'll have even more reason to suspect me.

Okay, one last card to play…

"But…what if I get hurt?" I ask desperately, searching for any excuse. Robin snorts and smirks a little. "After that little fight, I think you can hold your own. Besides, you won't even be fighting, just watching."

"That doesn't guarantee anything." I snap, flexing my fingers. Robin waves a hand airily. "Nothing will happen. We'll protect you. We're the Teen Titans, remember?"

"Whose leader just got beat by a homeless person," I shoot back, smiling in satisfaction at his bad-tempered scowl.

He sighs and steps to the side, leaving the way to the doorway clear. "Fine, I won't make you stay here."

I sigh a little in relief and stride forward, intent on leaving as soon as possible.

"But…"

I freeze, my eyes narrowing.

"If you leave…I'll be forced to report you to the police. I was sent a report about a mysterious sort of vandalism in the park, near the area where you were. I'll be forced to bring you in for questioning."

The last of my patience snaps, and I whirl to face them. "_ARE YOU SERIOUS? YOU'D REPORT ME BECAUSE I WAS NEAR AN AREA WHERE SOMEONE MESSED UP THE TREES?"_

Robin nods calmly. "Yep."

I want to lunge at him so badly, throttle him, and tell him that if I stay here, I'll probably end up being caught…

I glare at him murderously. If looks could kill, Robin would so be dead a thousand times over.

"I hate you," I growl childishly, unable to think of anything as a comeback at the moment. Robin smiles arrogantly and sweeps out of the room, hesitantly followed by his teammates.

"Good to know. You can ride in the T-Car with Cyborg."

**So…who would like to know why Robin is suck a jerk in this, and way off character? Okay, I'll tell you…it's a little thing called…BOY COMPETITIVENESS! No seriously, if you watched my brothers, they get in wrestling matches over who gets the last can of soda. It's quite entertaining to watch.**

**So, to basically sum up this chapter, Danny fights Robin, kicks his butt, and then gets pretty much blackmailed into staying at the Titan's Tower.**

**Hehe. Poor Danny.**

**Anyway, this chapter isn't supposed to be even halfway finished yet, but it got so long I had to cut it in half, possibly even thirds. **

**As always, review! What did you like? Did the fight scene between Robin and Danny flow smoothly? Did I capture everyone's personality, besides Robin's, correctly?**

**Oh, and Btw, I'm pretending that the Titans already know Dr. Light, because I need a villain to fight next chapter and he popped into my noggin. **


	7. Chapter 7: Feel the Light

**Okay…who wants to hit me over the head for ditching you all for so long? I'm sorry, I really am, it's just school hasn't given me much time to write and I've had to help take care of a sick brother for the past few days. **

**Also, someone pointed out that it might be against the site's rules to post answers to your reviews. I apologize if that annoys any of you, because there is a reason I do that, and it isn't just to bore you all with my random yakking. I like reading stories where the author is on friendly terms with the reviewers, because it makes you feel so much more welcome and appreciated. **

**Besides, I think there's too many of you reviewing to respond here anyway without adding an extra page or two to the story. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**P.S. This chapter is a shortie. Sorry, but last chapter was pretty long, so don't complain. It still reaches my goal of 5000+ words.**

Haunted Memories

Chapter 7

I glare venomously out the tinted glass side window of the T-Car (cheesy name, much?), continuously flexing and clenching my fingers, imagining how they would look when wrapped around Robin's throat. My eyes are narrow slits, and I guess the pupils are probably nothing more than black dots, dilated in my rage. I refuse to shatter the reigning silence, instead, channeling my entire being into concentrating upon repressing my powers.

This is vital, because right now if I slip for even a second, the white rings of light I've been suppressing for the past five minutes will pop into existence around my waist and change my form. And I think you can imagine how disastrous that would be- Cyborg, Beastboy, Raven, all crammed in the T-Car when I suddenly appear to look like the mysterious spectre they saw the other day at the prison.

A small bead of sweat rolls down my forehead as I close my eyes, knotting my fingers together in my lap. The car bumps occasionally as it hits a pothole or skids over a patch of loose gravel, as if purposefully trying to jar my focus. I have to hand it to Cyborg-his car is pretty awesome, and it rides smoothly. Nothing can beat the thrill and adrenalin rush of flying, though, and I find myself wanting to roll down the window and stick my head out like a dog, in order to feel the wind rushing over my face, stirring my hair and blasting away any regrets or pains as I leave them behind.

The itch to transform and just fly out of here grows again and I sigh, resting my head against the cool glass, probably smudging it with my cheek. Cyborg directs me a disapproving glance in the rearview mirror, but I only smirk slightly in return.

You want me here? You really want to start this game? Fine, I'll play, but I'm going by _my_ rules, _no one else's. _

The silence is stifling yet comforting at the same time. It's oppressive because it makes things so much more awkward, yet I'm thankful for it because I'm really not in the mood to chat right now. I feel more like fighting. I wish I could spar with Robin again. This time, I'd actually break his nose. No mercy.

The car swerves around a corner as Cyborg suddenly spins the wheel, and I grit my teeth and lean harder to the right so the inertia doesn't make me slam into Beastboy, who sits in the middle seat to my left.

"So…" Cyborg drawls from the driver's seat, sounding slightly apologetic. I'm not really mad at him, to tell the truth. _He_ isn't the one who forced me to stay at his stupid little tower. "…Ever seen us fight a villain on TV before?"

"No," I say dully, not interested at all, still staring out the window. I watch as, in the reflection, surprise widens Beastboy's eyes while he whirls in his seat to face me. "What? Really? But-we've been on, like, all of the stations!"

"Really? That's amazing." Okay, if the kid can't catch the sarcasm in my voice, he must be brain-dead.

"He's homeless, Beastboy," Raven points out in a monotone that mirrors mine almost perfectly. She stares out the left window, not even bothering to turn to look at the green changeling. "I don't think he's had any way or time to watch TV."

I wince painfully. Thanks Raven, for throwing the fact that I don't have a home in my face.

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that," Beastboy says, his elf ears drooping. He perks up not a second later, a fanged grin brightening his face. I smile a little at his contagious happiness.

And I thought I was mood-swingy. Does this guy have a happy/sad switch or something?

"But, we _have_ fought a ton of villains," Beastboy babbles, using his hands to mimic actions. "Like yesterday, we fought this really cool-looking guy in this super awesome white cape-"

"-Cloak-" Raven interjects smoothly.

"-Whatever, and he was all intimidating and cocky and made Robin really mad." I struggle to hide the smirk on my face. Looks like I have a talent for getting under Robin's skin.

"Oh really? What was this guy's name?" I ask casually, flippantly examining the back of my hand, as if to say, _Ghost-like boy with white cloak and hood? Who, me? Nah, no way!_

Beastboy bites his lower lip gently, not applying enough to force to break through the skin with his fangs. "Well…we don't know. But Cyborg came up with a really cool name for him, didn't you Cyborg?"

I lean forward a little and tilt my head to see him better, honestly curious. Cyborg flushes a little, readjusting his grip on the textured steering wheel. "Um…yeah…but, it wasn't serious…"  
Beastboy laughs, patting him on the shoulder. "Sure it wasn't, dude. You spent, like, two hours coming up with it."

"What was the name?" I ask, starting to get slightly impatient.

Beastboy opens his mouth to speak but Raven beat him to it.

"Cyborg called him Wraith."

Beastboy pouts, turning to glare at the dark female Titan. "Every time I have something cool to say, you have to say it instead. Why do you do that?"

A slight, barely noticeable smirk curls her lip. "Because I can."

"…Wraith?" I murmur quietly, eyes wide, fighting a smile. Of all the names, like…Phantom, or Ghostboy, (I've always hated that one), or even Jerkface, (and yes, I have been called that), they chose…Wraith. My thoughts flash back to my cloak, and I suddenly understand where the name came from. They must have been thinking about the way my cloak melts into wisps at the hem.

"I like it, it sounds cool," I announce, smiling widely. Something fizzes and bubbles in my heart and I tilt my head to the side ever so slightly, wondering…what was this feeling called again?

Oh yeah, happiness. _Happiness._ I remember the word, but it is strange recalling the feeling itself. It's been so long since I've had anything to be happy about, I guess I just kind of…forgot what it was like, in a way.

Tch. I'm getting happy over a name. How pitiful. I shake my head a little, causing the long dark bangs to fall into my eyes, further covering and hiding the scar over my eye. I'm thankful none of the Titans have asked about that yet. _That_ would be hard to explain.

I force the pessimistic thoughts out of my head, mentally scowling sternly. I think I'm allowed to enjoy myself sometimes, I can't be a jerk 24/7, right? Besides…for the past, what has it been, two years? Three? One and a half? Anyway, for…a certain amount of time, I've been flitting between identities; Fenton and Phantom, (mostly Phantom. He's the must useful when it comes to escaping and dodging the GiW), never completely one or the other. They sort of blended together, I guess. So…maybe I need a name for this new person, this new me.

Wraith fits, actually. Not just the cloak. It fits _me_. Always traveling, haunting places like abandoned factories or warehouses, fighting like a vengeful demon, vanishing without a trace.

Granted, I doubt Cyborg put that much thought into the name when he thought of it, but a strange sense of gratitude wells up inside of me. Sometime later, _if_, not when, I reveal myself to them, then I will be sure to thank him for giving me a name, an identity again.

Are Fenton and Phantom completely gone? No way. Sometimes, Fenton still aches and longs for a home again, the reliably predictive schedule, the warm, comfy mattresses. Phantom sometimes looks up at the night sky and reminisces about aimless starlit flights through peaceful night skies, or defending someone loved with fiery passion and determination.

And then they both remember what happened, and shut up.

Someone waves a few green fingers in front of me. "Yo? Hellooooo? Anybody home?"

I jerk myself out of my thoughts, blinking a few times. "Huh?"

Beastboy sits back in his seat, looking slightly amused. "You just zoned out, for, like, several minutes, dude. What's up?"

I shake my head apologetically, smiling a little. "Ah, sorry, I tend to do that sometimes. I like to think about things. Tell me, what is this 'Wraith' like?"

Curiosity killed the cat, they say. But satisfaction brought it back. And I am truly curious to see what the Titans think of…Wraith.

Beastboy scratches at his chin, his face scrunching up in thought. "Well…we only met him, for like, three minutes. But when we talked, he was kind of an arrogant jerk."

I wince internally. _Ouch, harsh. Note to self: rein in sarcasm next time. Unless, of course, Robin provokes you. Then feel free to be as annoying as possible._

"But then Raven said his mind shieldy-things started cracking or something, and that she kept getting glimpses of a girl with black hair and Gothic clothes-"

Breathe evenly, Danny. Don't react. Don't react.

"- and lots of angry and scared voices. And then…he broke down. It was really painful, not being able to do anything to help him, you know?"

I stare at him wordlessly, my mind slowly processing his last sentence.

…Broke down? That makes it sound like I went completely wacko. At least, I don't think I went all psycho on them. I can't really recall any of the events after my mental shields collapsed, thanks to the hallucination. I pray to God I didn't start screaming. How utterly embarrassing.

And… _'It was really agonizing, not being able to do anything to help him, you know?'_ Help? They still wanted to help me, even after I was a jerk to them? Even after I acted so arrogantly and treated them like dirt on my boots?

I'm not even worthy of their forgiveness and friendship. Well, forgiveness and friendship from most of them. I'm pretty sure Robin still hates me.

My foot shifts a little inside my black boot, coming in contact with the small pocketknife I placed there earlier. _You're not worthy yet,_ I tell myself, _but you will be. One day, when you've healed, when this whole mess has been taken care of, you'll remember what it was like to be a hero again._

"So what happened after that?" I ask, struggling to keep the pitiful conversation going. Beastboy gnaws worriedly at his lip, his eyes sparkling in curiosity and concern. He shrugs his thin shoulders.

"Well, he kind of curled up into a ball-"

Oh Lord.

"-And screamed a little-"

Why me?

"-And he formed this little protective green energy bubble thing around him, and we were trying o break it to get to him, and then-"

Beastboy raised his arms and wiggled his fingers, imitating a ghost. "_Wooooh_, he just disappeared, like a Wraith. It looked awesome, because his body just kind of burned up in green flame and disappeared."

I stare at him wordlessly, slightly disturbed.

He looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"…You do realize how barbaric that last sentence was, right?"

He smiles sheepishly, laughing nervously. "Oh…I see what you're saying…I didn't mean it like that, it's just…he kind of turned into fire and vanished, not…you know…burned to ash or something."

"…A-huh."

Note to self #2: Stay away from the green one.

Cyborg broke the awkward silence by holding up a sleek disk between two fingers. "How about some tunes, ya'll?"

I brighten instantly, nodding my head in approval. "Yes, please! I haven't listened to music in ages!" I pause, thinking, and then add, "Do you have Dumpty Humpty?"

Cyborg chuckles as he slides the disk in the slot. "Heheh…do I have Dumpty Humpty, he says…" He turns the dial, increasing the volume. I close my eyes and rest my head against the back of the leather seat, listening as the rock music fills the air. My foot moves slightly and taps the floor to the strong beat of the song.

Raven sighs and I hear the soft rustle of fabric as she leans back, tilting her head back against the headrest.

"Great," she mutters crossly, "I can't get silence anywhere."

I crack open an eye and throw her a scorching glare.

"Look, I'm sorry if this annoys you, but as you can imagine, I haven't been able to listen to music in a couple years, so I would really appreciate it if you just let it slide for once."

She simply rolls her purple eyes and looks out the window as a response.

Cyborg and Beastboy gape at me in silent, awed wonder. Quickly growing annoyed with their intense gazes, I lean forward and snap, "What the heck is it? Why are you staring at me?"

Beastboy flushes in embarrassment, looking away. Cyborg does the same.

"It's just," Cyborg whispers in a tone that everyone in the car can easily hear, "you told Raven off!"

Beastboy bobs his head rapidly in agreement with Cyborg. I look at them impatiently, crossing my arms and tapping the fingers.

"And…?"

"What do you mean, 'and'?" Beastboy explodes, waving his hands. "You told _Raven_ off and she didn't kill you!"

I snort and lean back, closing my eyes. "Whoopee for me. How much longer?"

Cyborg hunches forward in his seat a little, gently bringing up a holographic map by brushing his finger on the screen built into the dashboard. A blinking blue dot, us, I assume, is displayed barreling down the road. Just ahead, a flashing red dot is positioned on the intersecting corner of two streets, right next to a bank.

"A minute or so, actually. Not much longer." Cyborg twists to look at me, his usually playful, fun-loving face pulled into a serious grimace. "Look, you're going to stay in the car, okay? I don't know what the heck Robin is thinking bringing you along-"

Amen.

"-but it's his orders. You will only come out if the car is about to be…" a shining tear gathers in his human eye, which he hurriedly wipes away with the back of his hand, "…smashed. Got it?"

Wow. Someone loves his car a lot.

I look him directly in the eyes, seething. "I'm not some dumb little kid. I know what to do. You don't need to lecture me."

I hate lectures. They remind me of the time when Vlad and I were enemies, and he used to taunt me and instruct me as we fought. It was annoying as heck. The sight of your opponent, casually correcting your aim, acting theatrically bored while you tried to smash his face in, would infuriate anybody.

Cyborg waves his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Okay, okay, I get it, retract the claws, man."

He turns back around in the seat. Beside Raven, Beastboy shifts, crowding the window, preparing to exit the vehicle smoothly. I unhook my seatbelt, allowing the strap to snap back into place, and perch on the edge of my seat, hands finding the lock.

Maybe, as soon as the car pulls over, I can make a break for it. The Titans will never be able to catch me, anyways. I mean, you'd have to have serious skills to track down a person who can fly or become intangible and invisible. Like, Batman-level skills.

Thankfully, though, it seems Robin isn't up to that level yet.

Cyborg suddenly yanks the driving wheel to the side, causing the car to lurch, the tires squealing as the car skids, coming to a rest facing sideways. As soon as the car stops moving, Beastboy and Cyborg throw open the doors and leap out, pounding away towards the half-demolished bank in the far distance. Raven climbs out after them in a much more dignified manner, pausing to turn around and look at me.

"Don't do anything stupid," she says, eyeing my hand, which is resting on the handle of the door. I smile innocently.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She pulls her head out and shuts the door with a small click. I let out a relieved sigh and sink down in my seat, thankful that they're finally gone. Now, I can think without Raven poking around in my head or Beastboy chattering incessantly or Cyborg sending me a glare whenever I touch something in the car.

Okay, option 1: Get out of the car and make a run for it.

Option 2: Stay in the car, basically as a prisoner to the Titans, and secure a place to sleep for at least a few days and regular food.

I'll admit it- that second option seems very tempting. I heave a sigh, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Hot food…a comfy mattress…state-of-the-art security equipped Tower…

I straighten, eyes sparkling. Of course! The Titans are a group of heroes and heroines that the public basically adores. So…anyone (cough cough, GiW) who dared to fight them (of course, in order to obtain their lost little prisoner, me) would be looked upon with disgust by the public. And if the GiW were in bad graces, the government _might_ possibly shut them down in order to look good to the people…

And I wouldn't have to worry about safety if I stayed with the Titans. Come on, they have a huge tower with high-tech security. And as if that wasn't enough, I know they're a force to be reckoned with. Certainly, the GiW are smart enough to know when to back off.

I flex my hands, shuddering slightly as a shiver of pleasure runs through my body, raising goose bumps along my arms The very thought of actually living my life, unafraid of being caught, able to trust with sure certainty that there will be food on the table tomorrow.

Regular access to hot showers.

That last thought makes up my mind. I'll stay with the Titans. I'll be a freeloader. Heheh. The image of me, sprawled out on their spacious sofa, empty cans of soda littering the ground, dressed in a bathrobe, makes me laugh out loud. That would be so awesome.

Something unexpectedly slams into the car, rocking it violently, and I fall off the seat with a yell of surprise, banging my head on the door. My body slides down to the floor as I close my eyes and rub my head, hoping to dull the pain. Seething, I twist around and kick the door handle, unlatching it and causing it to fly open with a bang.

I stride out of the car, traveling around the vehicle to reach the side where something hit it.

"Okay," I yell as turn the corner, "whoever just did that is going to get their butt kicked into next Fri-"

I halt, eyes widening.

Beastboy lays slumped against the outside of the car door, which is dented from the collision. His eyes are closed, his body limp, and a pained expression tightens his face.

My legs push forward into action before I can stop them, carrying me over to the injured changeling with purposeful haste. I crouch beside him and poke him in his scrawny arm gently.

"Kid, are you okay…?" The question trails off in my mouth in horror as his body falls over from my touch, revealing a gigantic slash across his back.

"Oh crap…" I touch the wound lightly, then immediately pull my hand away as it quickly becomes drenched in dark green blood. A concerned frown crosses my face as I examine the wound. The edges of the ugly gash were cauterized in an instant; the flesh is blackened and mottled with burns. However, the wound still gushes blood. It looks as if something burning hot slashed the poor kid's back, shredding through the uniform easily.

Carefully, I adjust his position so that he is lying on the ground on his stomach, cautious not to touch the wound. His breathing is slight, and his skin is deathly pale green. His pulse is faint, fluttering weakly in his chest. I bite my lip anxiously, hands hovering inches above the wound.

Should I heal him? If I don't, then he'll most likely die. On the other hand, if I do fix him, everyone will certainly want to know how there is suddenly no life-threatening wound on his back. And then my secret will be exposed, and I'll probably have to run…

_Remember the promise you made, Danny? _A voice chides in my head. _You vowed you would begin a slow ascent to a hero again. Well, this is step 1. Fix him._

"But…but…" Guilt floods me as Beastboy's body spasms in pain.

_Do it, you idiot! He's dying!_

"I know, I kno-"

_HEAL HIM NOW, DANG IT!_

"Okay! Geez, pushy, pushy. Why am I talking to myself, anyway?" I grumble as green sparks flare to life in my hands, dancing in my palm and jumping between my fingers.

_Because you're insane._

"Oh yeah."

Gingerly, I press my hands to the wound, pulling a disgusted face as thick blood quickly wells up between my fingers. The sparks change in color from electric green to soft blue and travel from my hands to Beastboy's back, sinking into his flesh with a small crackle. Beastboy's body arches in pain and a quiet scream rips itself from his throat, but he doesn't wake fully. I pin the thrashing boy to the ground unmercifully, muttering, "Sorry, but it's for your own good, Beastboy."

If I channel my energy, I can adjust its intensity and properties, like shifting from ectoplasm to ice. Since I have a healing factor, I can release that specific kind of energy into others, effectively healing their wounds.

There are downsides, however. First, my body has to transfer the energy I get from food into the healing energy made by my ectoplasmic-coated cells, which is then stored in my muscles. The bad thing is that the energy takes a long time to build, and my body doesn't produce it super-quickly. So, I can't heal from terrible wounds in seconds, but more like hours, or occasionally even days.

Secondly, forcibly speeding up another body's healing process is very painful for him or her and extremely tiring for me.

Like I have a choice right now, though.

The minutes pass slowly. A soft grunt of exertion passes my lips as I force myself to keep the energy flowing into the awful wound, watching as the gush of blood begins to slow and the skin on either side of the wound crawls towards each other, closing the mouth of the awful injury.

"Ugh." I murmur in faint repulsion as the skin begins to knit together. Another few minutes, and the wound is around eighty percent healed, which means it isn't life threatening anymore. I remove my hands from his back, wrinkling my nose at the incredibly strong scent of blood, his blood, coating my hands. I wipe them clean as best as I can on my pants, my whole body shaking in weariness. I feel that terrible jittery weakness, like when you're dehydrated or something.

I'm so exhausted right now, I could fall asleep on the cold hard concrete. I've never healed a wound so much at one time. My head spins in dizziness and black dots swim across my vision. I slump against the car, barely keeping my eyes open. Beastboy stirs slightly, his eyelids fluttering. The green orbs look dazed and hazy.

I send him a tired grin. "Hi buddy, how ya doing?"

He fails to respond, his eyelids slowly closing again as he fades into unconsciousness, which is a good sign. That means the little healing jumpstart I gave him has kicked his body's natural healing process into action.

I snort and weakly cross my arms. "Okay, don't respond. Just fall unconscious. That's fine too."

I turn my head at the sound of an large explosion, watching in boredom as a lean, slightly muscular man comes into view about twenty meters away, blasting a truck out of his path with bright crackling yellow beams that emit from his palms. He laughs uproariously, clasping his hands together and aiming them at another car. A sphere of energy blinks into existence, steadily growing brighter and more condensed, until a wide destructive ray bursts from his closed fists and smashes into the car, nearly obliterating it.

"I have defeated the puny Teen Titans!" He throws back his head and roars to no one in particular, laughing gleefully. "None can withstand the might of Dr. Light!"

Heh. Nice rhyme, old dude.

"Hey," I call out in a bored tone, watching his head snap to face me, looking slightly surprised, "I don't know if you just really like to talk or something, but can you please shut up?" I nod to Beastboy. "Some of us are trying to sleep here."

Dr. Light examines the injured Titan distastefully, as one views a bothersome fly. "It appears the changeling survived my condensed beam of light, by some miracle."

"No duh. Are you sure your name isn't Captain Obvious?" I counter, smirking playfully. He scowls, his muscles tightening in aggravation.

"Why, you little…"

I examine my fingernails airily. "Oh, not liking that one? How about Captain of Long Winded Introductions?" A slight grin pulls at my mouth as I remember Technus.

"You brat! I, Dr. Light, shall destroy you for your insolence!"

"Geez," I mutter to myself, climbing unsteadily to my feet, dusting off my bloodied hands, "this guy is like a mix of the Box Ghost _and_ Technus." I shudder at the thought.

"Look," I say to this villain wannabe, "I suggest you haul your butt to jail _before I make you_." My voice deepens to a chilling snarl during the last words as I begin to walk towards him, my strides long and purposeful.

He barks out in laughter, scoffing, "As if a mere, puny human like yourself could defeat me, Dr. Li-"

"Dr. Light is your name, I get it! Shut up!"

I bound towards him, seriously annoyed. He hurt Beastboy. He beat the Titans. He probably beat the cops when they first showed up to stop him.

But he won't beat me.

In this plane of existence, I'm undefeatable.

He quickly charges up his hands and sends a barrage of light discs at me. I dodge each and every one with inhuman agility, flipping, somersaulting, and leaping over them.

Within seconds, I'm right in the man's sallow, gaunt face, giving him a twisted, dark smile.

"I warned you."

My fist smashes into his hooked nose in the space of a second, and his head snaps back from the force as he staggers away. I'm attacking within seconds. I went easy on Robin. I would have gone easy on this piece of filth, but he made the mistake of ticking me off.

So now he's going to pay the consequences.

Spinning kicks, flying fists, smashing uppercuts, (courtesy of me), barrage the villain relentlessly, giving him no time to recover and form a counter-attack. Blindly, he charges up a fist and punches, but I duck underneath the sloppy attack and drive my fist into his solar plexus. The breath leaves his body in one big gasp as he bends over, sucking in air. I reach up, grab his helmet, and smash his head into the ground with enough force to create a small crater. I pull him back up and punch him in his face, keeping a tight grasp on his shoulder to prevent him from escaping my hold.

I unexpectedly let go and back flip away, clipping his chin with both of my booted feet. He flies upwards into the air. Straightening, I leap forward again and push off the ground, spinning in midair and kicking him in the chest.

Now, all of this takes time to tell you, but it really happened in the space of a few seconds. Dr. Light is sent flying back from my kick, smashing into a busted car amid a shower of broken glass, bending the twisted metal of the demolished car even further

I land with cat-like grace on the ripped and torn cement of the street, fragments of broken glass and metal crunching under my boots.

I massage my right hand, wincing as it twinges in soreness. The skin of the knuckles is split from the force of my punches. I wait for a few seconds, frowning as the skin fails to heal itself. Geez, healing the little green kid must have sapped a lot more of my healing energy than I originally thought.

My theory is supported when another onslaught of tiredness washes over me, and my vision spins. I fall to one knee, groaning softly at the rising nausea in my stomach. The crackle of gravel being stepped on makes me look up, and I groan again, this time in exasperation, as Dr. Light storms towards me, looking furious.

His nose is twisted at a very wrong angle and gushing crimson blood, and one of his hands is wrapped around his chest, probably holding a broken rib. The chest-part of his suit is lacerated with tears and, in some places, hanging in small shreds.

"You piece of filth!" He hisses, turning his head briefly to the side to spit out a mixed blob of saliva and blood. I struggle to focus on him, my spinning vision causing me to see four of him.

_What? _I thought groggily, tilting my head to the side in confusion _He isn't a ghost. He can't duplicate, right?_

"Where the heck are the Titans?" I mutter, forcing my body to move. The joints creak in protest at the sudden movement. _Shut up, body! I'm not eighty yet!_

I prop myself against the T-Car with one hand, running the other through my hair, inhaling shakily. Okay, time to prioritize. Goal number one: Get Green Bean to a safe spot. Goal number two: Find the rest of the Titans and then kick their butts for not coming sooner. Goal number three: Avoid the crazy lunatic light guy!

A white beam of super-condensed energy suddenly blazes through the air towards me, and I yelp in surprise, bowing low to the ground to avoid it. The beam misses my head by mere inches, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from it as it shoots by overhead. My eyes trail to the ground in horror, where a clump of my black hair lies dejectedly limp on the concrete, the frayed ends sizzling.

"No…" I whisper, sweeping the strands into my palms. My hair disintegrates in my palm. I throw back my head, clawing at the ground in anger.

'NO! YOU MESSED UP MY HAIR, YOU SICK JERK! HOW CAN YOU BE SO _EVIL_?"

Okay, I'll admit, being on the run takes down your personal hygiene levels quite a few notches. But if there's one thing I prided myself on, it was my hair. And this guy just messed it up. I raise my eyes to where Dr. Light stands, looking partially confused by my outburst.

My hands alight in swirling green fire but I put out the ethereal flames quickly, not wanting to give away my powers. His eyes widen, and I curse quietly. Great. He knows.

"You have powers! I saw the fire, I did!"

Crap muffins. (I've sort of mixed my curses with Vlad's. Like I say 'darn' or 'crap' or 'shoot' and he says some baked pastry. That's what happens when you hand around the guy for too long.)

I smile innocently at the criminal. "I'm sorry, but you seem to be confused. I can't summon green fire, how absurd is that? It's called colored flashlights, moron."

Worst excuse ever. But who knows? Maybe he isn't smart.

He snorts. "I know what I saw, insignificant human being. That was no mere flashlight."

He's smart.

"Hm," I struggle to say, my words slightly slurred with exhaustion, "I guess you're smarter than your appearance led me to believe."

He smirks, then frowns, then looks confused. "Is that an insult, boy?" He growls, charging up his hands.

I shrug one shoulder, finally falling on my stomach, barely able to use my arms to lift my body off the ground.

"Maybe. But I think you should be more concerned about them." I point to the rest of the Titans, who crept up behind him while he was speaking.

Robin punches a torn glove into his palm. "Ready for round 2?" He snarls.

The Titans lunge towards each other, Beastboy begins to stir, and the last of my strength leaves me.

My muscles relaxed, my eyes rolled back in my head, and darkness took over.

**Okay, let me put this out there: this is going to be slightly darker than then the actual Teen Titans show, and I'm just going to say that Cyborg has already built the T-Car, okay? It just fits more into the story if they already have it.**

**Again, I apologize for the lateness. School stinks. **


	8. Chapter 8: A Place to Call Home

**I AM ALIVE! My dear readers, I apologize for my extended absence. A lot of sucky things have been going on in my life. I would have posted this chapter much earlier, but I caught Pinkeye in both eyes and they were almost swollen shut. So, I couldn't really see what I was typing. Sorry. And then there was all these sicknesses and a crisis, and my laptop having problems, and blah blah blah you probably don't want to hear my life problems. :) Sorry. Venting.**

**Anway, I've decided that I'm going to respond to all your reviews. Holy Shizzle, guys! 47 reviews for last chapter! *Bear Hug* I love you guys! And over a 100 favorites and alerts! *Stern gaze8 How many of you are skimping out on my reviews? They're my sustenance. **

**But seriously, thanks, you guys. All your happy reviews helped me through a dark time that I'm kind of still in. Special thanks to those who private messaged me about the story. And on a completely unrelated note, I've been making more stories! They're in the worlds of Young Justice and Teen Titans, so drop by and read if you want. **

**Special thanks to whoever put my story in their communities- you rock!**

**Also, after this chapter, I will officially start going through the series and episodes with Danny in them. In case you're worried that I'll just be re-doing the series with Danny stuck in there, I won't be, don't worry. I'll add my own little pezazz into it. **

**For this chapter, I'm not very satisfied with how it turned out. I just don't like it for some reason, but ah well. You deserve an update. AND ATTENTION! I HAVE A BETA! A round of applause, please! My beta is too shy to add anything in my lengthy author's note, but please, thank her in your heads!**

**Review Response Time. (This will be pretty long since I have so many reviews.)**

**Since there are so many, I'm just going to answer those who have questions. **

**So...special, special thanks to the following who were kind enough to leave reviews: _DizzlyPuzzled, SonOfLucifer, Biisaiyowaq, Riqis Inna Sunja, Umbra8191, Shiva the Sarcastic, Anonymous the Third, book phan44, Honest Lunar Raven, Silver Shadowbreeze, VampireFrootloopsRule, HalfafanD, ChristinCC, Seantriana, mountainelements, somnialunae, senecka, loverboy, juniperfalcon17, WildWulfchild, anon, LandofMidnightRain, sonshine4ever, hopeistheway, foxglove66, Cat, hypersreak, RaDiaNTFreezez, 2011Gokurocks18110411, ChopSuzi, Akela Victoire, Jiopaba, i luv cartoons 6, Jewcika, LuNa, Battler127, ComeHellorHighWaterBringItOn._**

**Pant, pant. Okay, now to respond to those who had questions...**

**Woto: **_Speaking of which, why exactly did Sam and Tucker betray Danny? ...since Danny's ice powers can be used like his regular ones, then can't he do a kind of Cryo Wail? Do you ever get tired of reading these lengthy reviews? Oh no.! Will Dr. Light reveal Danny's powers to the Titans? Will he blab to other villains in jail? Will word get to the GiW because of (the mighty, all-powerful) Dr. Light?_

**Ah, if I told you, it would ruin the suspense, would it not? And the ice-wail thing is a very interesting idea, I'll be sure to use it sometime. AND DON'T YOU DARE THINK I GET TIRED OF YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! :( I love them! And as for your other questions...well, you'll just have to see, huh? ;)**

**Cloud9time4Emu: **_did the Titans come before or after Danny's "green fire?" And goodness gracious, when will his past be revealed? I am trying to remain patient, oh my beloved fanfic author, but I just really want to know._

**I'm evil, I know! The Titans came right after his green fire thing, like, split seconds later. About his past... :( I'm sorry for the wait, but I need to hold off on it for a certain amount of time until I can bring a certain someone in. I'm planning on letting you guys know gradually through Danny's flashbacks, hallucinations, and nightmares. Don't worry!**

**deadlydaisy8o8: I just thought I would respond to you, since you were unhappy with the outcome of the fight. Originally, I planned on letting Danny beat the crap out of him, but then I realized that I wanted Danny to wake up in the Tower (again) instead of revealing his secret there, in public. But Danny DID pretty much beat almost all of the crap out of him (he did give him a broken rib and broken nose and various other injuries). Don't worry! There will be more butt-icking in chapters to come!**

**unknown: **_Did the other Titans hear Dr. Light's comment about the powers? And, how long before Wraith (Phantom, whatever his name is going to be) makes another appearance?_

**No, they didn't. They came at the very tail-end, but, rest assured, secrets will be found out this chapter! And Wraith will probably appear in the next few chapters, but I first have to situate Danny in the Tower comfortably before launching into serious developments.**

**Unknown: **_Speaking of the explantion, I wonder if Vlad is going to show up at all? I hope Vlad does-he can be such an amusing character. But I'm not quite sure of one thing...are Danny and Vlad on good terms?_

**Hmmmm... a lot of Unknowns...cool! :D Ahem, anyway, VLAD WILL SHOW UP! I agree, I love him. Sadly, though, he probably won't appear for a VERY long time because I'm currently hiding a very big secret about Danny from you all that I won't reveal for also a very long time. Sorry! And yes, Vlad and Danny are on good terms. In my story, chapter 7, I think, Danny states that Vlad is like a father to him now, because of Danny's parent's betrayal. **

**cocoa85715: **_But I do have on question: instead of just living every day in fear in the human world, why doesn't he just go to the Ghost Zone? It's never been mapped before, so the GiW can't track him very easily. Also, if they have ecto-signature trackers, they would probably get confused; the ectoplasm all around the Ghost Zone would probably scramble their instruments. And he can live with Clockwork, too. How can the GiW track him to a place that's frozen in time? And besides, Clockwork could always just warn him if the GiW find him in the near future._

**I was wondering when someone would ask that. Kudos to you for spotting it! As I mentioned before in reply to Unknown, I'm hiding a very big secret from you all that has very little hints in the story about Danny. This secret will be revealed in time, but for now, I'm keeping you in the dark. :'( I'm evil, I know!**

**Shen an Calhar: **_Really like the name will danny be using it? _

**Why yes, yes he will. Thank you! I was worried people would find it tacky or something.**

**THANK YOU ALL WHO BOTHERED TO REVIEW! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO! Enjoy!**

**Haunted Memories**

**Chapter 8**

**By: Dreams2Paper11**

_Sam threw the door open and pushed me forward. I stepped across the threshold, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck raise. Something felt wrong. Very, very wrong. My fingers twitched and my battle-refined instincts practically screamed at me to run._

"_Happy early birthday Danny," Sam said sweetly. The sound of a multitude of guns clicking off of safety shattered the silence._

_I instantly recoiled in shock, throwing myself in front of Sam and Tucker to protect them with my body. Red dots suddenly blinked on in the darkness, like pairs of crimson demon eyes glaring out from the shadows, and I looked down at my chest, noting in horror how all of the dots clustered near my heart. _

_I pushed Sam and Tucker desperately, but for some reason, they refused to budge. _

"_Go!" I screamed, having to restrain myself from igniting my hands in ecto energy. I didn't know who, or even what, we were fighting, but it was quite obvious that they were armed and trained to shoot. I heard Sam shift behind me, her hand scrabbling along the wall, and a small click sounded. The next second, the lights were thrown on, and my jaw dropped._

_A whole squad of GiW troops. All in my house. All of them with their weapons ready and armed. All of them with their armed weapons pointing directly at me. I froze, blood roared in my ears, and adrenalin began speeding up my heart. _

_Should I attack?_

_But that would give my secret away, and-_

_Darn it! They're in my house, they obviously know I'm Phantom!_

_Should I run?_

_I focused, concentrating slowly on my hearing. Immediately, the sound of thrumming heartbeats from the room's current occupants filled the air, heard only by me. I picked up on another unwelcome sound-_

_A fast, whipping noise. My eyes widened slightly. A chopper. They had a chopper circling above the house. The sound suddenly swelled, and I grimaced. Great. Two choppers. Fantastic._

_A man, taller than the rest by at least two inches, stepped forward. His skin was ebony and smooth, contrasting deeply with his pristine white suit, with large, bushy black eyebrows and a brow that cast deep shadows over his sunken eyes. An ectopistol was held loosely in the fingers of his right hand. A small com. link was fixed to his ear, and a little badge with the initials G.i.W. engraved on it was pinned to his chest. A cruel, terrifying smirk pulled at the corner of his colorless lips. With his left hand, he dug into the lapels of his suit and brought out another folded badge, flipping it open by jerking his wrist. _

"_Danny Fenton, or should I say Phantom, you have been placed under arrest. Your guardians have been made aware of your status as half ghost and support our decision."_

_My brain raced as I crouched, instinctively falling into a battle-stance. Okay, so they knew about my ghost half, but what did they mean by 'guardians'?_

_My eyes widened. _

_My parents._

_They knew._

_And they…supported the GiW?_

_An icy feeling of dread clawed at my spine and only through sheer willpower was I able to suppress a shudder. Hot tears prickled in my eyes. A deep sense of hurt and betrayal welled up within me. How could they? They were my parents, for Pete's sake! How could they betray their own son?_

_It didn't make any sense. When Freakshow had the reality gauntlet and my parents found out about my ghost half, they welcomed me. They supported me. They only reason I later used the gauntlet to take away their memories was because I wasn't ready for the world to know the identity of Danny Phantom yet._

_Where were my parents anyway?_

_The answer came to me in the next second when a loud, piercing crack split the air. Something burning hot whizzed by my ear with deadly speed, missing my head by mere centimeters. The bullet continues until it hits the wall, breaking through the plaster and punching easily through the steel paneling. _

_Regardless of the miss, I flinch away from path the bullet had taken, my head whipping to the side in shock. My mom, dressed in her normal teal HAZMAT suit, hobbled down the stairs at a furious pace, reloading the ecto-pistol in her hands with trembling fingers. Her face was flushed, her eyes wild and furious. I backed away as the commander of the GiW unit rushed forward in front of her path. _

"_Ma'am, please, we have the situation under control. We need the subject alive to-"_

"_Get away from me!" My mom snarled, snapping a high kick to the man's jaw. He stumbled backwards, immediately lifting a hand to his jaw, staring at her in grudging admiration. She turned back to me, and a shiver of intense fear flipped in my stomach. _

_She strode forward, the heels built into her suit clicking on the hardwood floor. She cocked the gun and aimed it at my chest, panting, her chest heaving up and down. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SON, YOU PIECE OF FILTHY GHOST SCUM?" She screamed hysterically, tears building in her own eyes and running down her face. _

_I predicted the movement before it took place. _

_With one quick shove of my shoulder, I pushed Sam and Tucker out of the doorway, just as my mom pulled the trigger. My senses roared into hyper drive and I twisted my upper body backwards into a bridge. A burning pain suddenly split across my face and I yelled in pain, collapsing onto the floor roughly. My hands flew to my face, and little moans of pain issued from my mouth. I took my shaking hands away from my face, barely making out the bright scarlet red staining my hands. Tears blurred my eyesight, and when I tried to blink, my left eye burst into another bout of agony. _

_I couldn't even blink my left eye. _

_Through the haze of pain, a distinguished sound reached my ears: the thud of heavy boots approaching me from the general direction where the GiW commander had stood. Half delusional from pain and terror, I flipped onto my stomach, still keeping my left eye closed, tears squeezing out from under the shut lid and intermingling with the blood running down my face. I pushed myself to my knees, then grabbed the doorway and used that to pull myself up. The footsteps increased in tempo and I staggered forward out of the house. A blast of cool summer twilight air hit my face, along with the sounds of crickets chirping. _

_Half-blinded by tears and pain, my right foot snagged on the heel of my left shoe and I pitched forward, hitting the concrete stairs hard and bouncing down them, tearing the skin on my elbows and knees. A short bark of pain tore itself from my throat, but I was back on my feet in seconds. I registered dimly that two people were beside me- Sam and Tucker? - and I screamed hoarsely, "RUN! GO!"_

_Assuming they were right behind me, I took off running down the sidewalk, my gasps morphing into strangled sobs as I ran. The roar of the choppers suddenly grew louder as a large dark shape blotted out the faint light cast by the sinking sun and rising moon. Bright spotlights flicked on, shining down from overhead, bathing me in white light._

"_There!" A man's deep, throaty voice called from a distance behind me. "The chopper's on top of him!"_

_My heart jumped into my throat, stuttering and missing a beat, and I swerved sharply into an alley, temporarily losing the beams. _

_The hunt was on._

**~(^_^)~**

My return to active consciousness was more gradual this time.

One moment I was asleep, totally conked out, (having a very vivid nightmare), and the next second, the terrifying scenes playing over and over in my head vanished like morning mist when the sun rises. My eyelids flicker, wanting to open on reflex (again, major paranoia issues, remember?), but I force them to stay closed. Rule number 1 when you wake up uncertain of where you are: Always act asleep until you can tell, or at least gather some info, about the place you're in.

The first thing I observe is the purely unscented air- like what is normally found in office buildings with air conditioner or such. The second thing I realize is that red light penetrates through my eyelids, dancing in splotches across the darkness. This means I'm in an area with light- real sunlight or artificial, I'm not sure of. Lastly, my sense of touch kicks in and I relax slightly into the blankets covering my body. Sadly, along with the heavenly feeling of downy softness enveloping me comes the achy pain. My whole body pulses with tiredness, and for a second I consider just flopping over to a more comfortable position and falling back asleep. My mind is wide-awake, though, and I heave a sigh upon realizing that I won't be able to pass out again.

Wait-pass out?

_Beast Boy, wound, healing, energy sap, freaky light dude, singed hair, Titans._

My mind floods with the memories, and I sit up quickly, throwing the blankets off in a rush. The warm leaves, replaced by cooler air that hasn't been warmed by my body heat, but I don't care. In fact, I'm thankful, because it helps wake me up even further.

Unlike the last two times I've woken up in the Tower (wow, I think I'm setting a record for the amount of times I've passed out in a week), the team members aren't in the main room, hovering over me like (annoying) gnats.

I casually slip off the couch, stretching and working the pains out of my muscles, easily bending in a backwards bridge to touch the ground with my palms, wincing a little as my back cracks. I collapse in a pile and neatly turn it into a somersault, nimbly darting to my feet. I've always kind of been flexible. My body build is based more off of Robin's than Cyborg's, (Lord knows I'll never be able to attain _that_ much muscle mass) and flexibility has always been a strength of mine. How could I not be flexible, really, when back in Amity, I had to twist in weird shapes to dodge projectiles, including while during dodgeball with Dash?

Anyway, I complete a 360 after standing up, scanning the room for any occupants besides myself. No luck. One of the small window panels in the thick, reinforced glass wall that acts like a one-way mirror is propped open, allowing a slight, salty ocean breeze to flow into the room along with bright golden rays of sunlight. Obviously, the heavy gray clouds that swathed the sky yesterday had cleared, probably tugged from the bay city by an ocean breeze.

Overall, the room has a very relaxed, carefree attitude, and I struggle to maintain my paranoia and not just collapse on the couch to gaze out the window over the city.

Yawning, I turn and pad up the small steps leading to the automated steel doors. I pause in front of them, waving a hand near the smooth, cool metal surface, thinking to myself, _the force is strong with this one,_ grinning when the motion sensing doors slide open.

When I was little, probably around six or seven, I always went with my mo- Maddie Fenton, to the grocery store (usually so I could snag some candy or gum at the check-out counter), and every time there was automated doors, I would throw my arms out and pretend to use the force to open them, like I was a character from Star Wars.

A bittersweet feeling rises in my heart at the happy recollection, and I abruptly push the memories to the back of my head before I start to get moody and brooding again.

Once I exit the main room, I stand in the middle of a long hallway. I tilt my head and tense the muscles of my body, mentally visualizing plunging into myself and grabbing a hold of my ghost half, pulling it to the surface.

My vision clarifies and sharpens; brightening colors and drastically dimming shadows, and I can suddenly pick up the sound of hushed voices and beating hearts, coming from a few hallways down. I close my eyes and slide down with my back against the wall, listening intently.

"-healed nearly completely. You don't have increased healing, do you Beast Boy?" Raven's monotone is broken for once, actually colored with slight suspicion and surprise. A small rustle and creak sounds as someone steps off a bed. Raven is probably giving Beastboy a check-up. I sigh, putting my head in my hands. Well, that's it. My secret is blown.

"No, I don't. What do you think happened? I remember something hitting my back, and then-nothing. I think I saw someone, but the details are too fuzzy for me to remember," Beast Boy answers.

"Why was Danny found unconscious outside the T-Car, with burn marks on the concrete near his hands?" A lower voice, slightly rough. Robin. My head sinks lower into my hands and my shoulders slump.

Shouldn't be long now…

"Maybe…" Cyborg hesitates for a second, "maybe…Danny isn't so normal."

_Ding, ding_, we have a winner!

"But the only evidence we have is Dr. Light's claim of seeing green fire and Danny's exceptional skills of fighting," Starfire chimes in. I can almost visualize the way she clasps her hands to her chest as she speaks.

"The concrete was _burned,_ Star, right where Danny's hands rested on the concrete! And the diameter of the scorch marks weren't big enough to be caused by Dr. Light's beams." Robin responded. Just from the tone of his voice I could tell he wanted to shackle me to a chair in their interrogation room and question me.

You know, it's kind of weird that I'm not freaking out while they slowly pick apart my lie. I mean, the Titans know one of my darkest secrets. I should either by flying away at top speed or threatening them (asking nicely rarely ever works, especially with stubborn types like Robin) right about now.

Maybe…maybe it's because I expected this to happen, at some point in time. There's just no way I would be able to hide my secret from them for this long. They have superpowers. Well, most of them, anyway. They might understand.

I rub my temples and sigh, curling my fingers and pulling at my hair slightly in aggravation. Why does Murphy's Law only apply to me? Everything that can go wrong _will_ go wrong.

"Let him sleep for now," Raven states, and I hear soft footsteps as she begins to walk to the door. "Whatever he did, he did it to protect Beast Boy. I don't think he has any bad intentions."

"Sure," Robin agrees, sounding a little disappointed that they won't be interrogating me.

More footsteps as they begin to move for the door. My eyes widen. They're coming!

I leap to my feet and turn, charging back into the room, vaulting over the back of the couch and bouncing on the cushions, fetching the blankets and arranging them so that it looks like I just sat up.

A few seconds later, the footsteps grow louder and the door opens. I jerk my head around to face them, acting surprised. Remembering that Raven can sense emotions, and would therefore know if I was faking, I raise my mental walls again. In the darkness cast by her hood, her almond shaped eyes narrow a little in annoyance.

"What happened?" I ask groggily, nonchalantly stretching my arms and yawning. Robin smiles apologetically, shrugging.

"We're still not sure ourselves," he says, still smiling. I go on alert. Robin barely ever smiles.

Well, he's a very good actor, I'll admit.

Robin goes to the other side of the room, the part furnished like a kitchen, and stoops below the counters. Something chinks as Robin pulls out pans and sets them aside, then sets a pill bottle on the counter, putting the other items back in their places.

He fills up a glass of water and hands me two little red, circular pills with it.

"Here," he says as he tips his hand, allowing the medicine to spill into my cupped palms, "it's Advil. You might still be sore and achy."

I rub one of the pills between my thumb and index finger indecisively, pondering if Robin is daring enough to give me truth serum or something. Starfire floats next to me, her big, green, doe eyes wide and innocent as usual. She smiles warmly, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear.

"Robin says you are not the most trusting of persons, so I will prove there is nothing in those pills except for…um…Earth medicine things." She leans forward and swipes one of the tablets, popping it into her mouth and swallowing it without water.

I wait for a few seconds, checking to make sure she doesn't fall unconscious or start blabbing her deepest, darkest secrets. Instead, she smiles brightly and throws her hands out wide, as if to show that nothing has happened to her body.

I sigh and gulp the leftover tablet, washing it down with the water. Beast Boy laughs, smiling cheekily.

"Dude," he comments in an amused tone, "as if we would really poison you or something. Come on! We're the good guys!"

Yeah, well the GiW claim to be the good guys, too.

"Thanks," I say, setting the glass down on the coffee table, wiping the water on my lips away with the back of my hand.

Cyborg shakes his head, waving his hand. "It's the least we could do after you helped Beast Boy."

"I-excuse me?" I choke out, heart beginning to race. Here come the questions…

Cyborg reddens furiously and looks as if he could slap himself. The other Titans shoot him annoyed, pointed looks. I lean back slightly in thought. So, they've learned that questioning me doesn't get very far?

Finally. Maybe now I can get some peace.

Something occurs to me suddenly: what caused them to realize this? I may have reacted badly to their (persistent) questions in the past, but…

My eyes narrow slightly. Unless…they're just trying to lower my guard. Get me to open up to them. It fits- why Cyborg looked upset when he acknowledged the fact that I helped Beast Boy. They're trying to act like they don't know my secret.

Well, at least they haven't connected the dots- that I am Wraith. For a second, I amuse myself with the thought of transforming in front of them, just to see the looks on their faces. But they know too much already.

Starfire directs an uncertain smile my way. "Friend Danny, I wish to know if you would like to train with us."

Nice attempt at changing the subject, Starfire. Never knew you could be so devious.

I raise an eyebrow inquisitively. "Why?"

Raven shrugs in return. "Why not?"

"Yeah," Robin pitches in, "and you said you would spar with me some more and show me some of your moves."

Dang. I forgot about that.

"Alright, alright, fine, whatever," I give in, waving my hands in the air to shut them up. Starfire soars into the air and performs a loop, squealing, "Glorious, glorious! May we bond together over the shedding of blood, sweat, and tears!"

A smile slips onto my face before I can stop it. Seriously, who helps her with Earth sayings and stuff?

"Yeah…sure…" We all get up and I walk next to Raven, (the only quiet one, excluding Robin), following the group as they lead the way to the training room.

"Fifty…fifty one…fifty two…"

I watch idly as Robin lifts weights alternately with each hand, teeth gritted, sweat slipping down his face. He's already done several other workout routines, (while I sit here, looking bored), and his arms shake in exertion. He stands in the center of a thick, padded blue training mat, barefoot, and dressed in a loose white T with black sweatpants.

And of course the domino mask. Honestly, does this kid wear that thing even in the showers?

Doesn't it get itchy?

Above him, Starfire is practicing aerial maneuvers, flying through wide metal hoops and blasting red targets that pop out of the wall, her hands lit up with pulsing energy. Beast Boy is to Robin's left, rapidly shifting between animals. Raven times his transformations, the small stopwatch floating weightlessly in the air, encompassed in black shimmery energy while Raven meditates. My eyes somehow travel from the ticking timer to her face.

I've only known her for a day or two or something, and I know that Raven laughing=end of the world. She barely ever smiles, and even then, it's just a small lift of the corners of her mouth, never wide enough to show her teeth.

But now…she looks so peaceful…her posture and face is relaxed, the slender eyebrows slightly lifted, the eyes closed lightly. Her deep blue cloak covers her whole body, draping loosely off her crossed legs as she levitates in midair. Her hood is down, falling in soft folds over her shoulders, and her elegantly angled violet hair frames her face, each strand perfectly in place.

I lounge against the wall, a slight smile crossing my face unconsciously, my emotional shields falling a little.

Her eyes flash open and she twists to face me, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Shoot. I immediately look away nonchalantly, quickly building the shields up again, fighting the warm feeling rising in my face,

_Way to go, Danny, _a voice chides in my head, _she caught you staring at her. You freaking creeper._

_Shut up._

_You shut up._

_You!_

_YOU!_

_Fine, how about we both shut up?_

_Fine._

_Wait, why am I even talking to myself anyway?_

I push off the wall, sneaking one last glance at Raven, who is floating ethereally again, this time looking slightly tense, her hood drawn up, hiding her face in deep shadow. The timer wobbles a little from its place suspended four feet off the ground, the black magic surrounding it sputters slightly.

I stroll over to Cyborg, who is bench-pressing an insane amount of weights. Sweat trickles down the human side of his face in small beads and he grunts in exertion as he lifts the sagging steel bar a few more times.

"Need a spotter?" I ask, giving him a friendly smile. He sets the bar down carefully, nearly wheezing, and gulps water from a chilled water bottle near the bottom of the machine.

"Naw," He gasps out between heavy pants, "I'm done. Thanks for the offer anyway, man."

"No prob."

As Cyborg gets up and leaves, muttering something about cold showers, I hear a sharp whistle. Turning, I see Robin waving at me.

"You ready?" He calls out, smiling big. I shrug in response.

"Sure, why not."

Immediately, he charges, and I fall into a battle stance, one foot slightly drawn back to allow for quick movement, with my arms raised, ready to either parry or strike. Robin leaps into the air and lets out a (not so) fearsome yell.

Our spar began.

**~(^_^)~**

"Who taught you to fight?" Robin asks once we finished, both panting for breath. I stretch casually, relaxing my taut muscles, stalling for time. What was it that I said before?

"Um…my uncle taught me."

Robin crosses his arms. "You said earlier that you were taking karate lessons your whole life."

Dang.

"Uh…yeah… I was taking lessons…from my uncle?"

Okay, maybe I'm not such a great liar after all.

Robin stares at me.

"But you're a runaway. Why aren't you with your uncle instead of us right now?"

"Because…um…we got in a fight."

"Who's your uncle?"

Shoot. If I say Vlad Masters, that'll stir up a ton of attention that I definitely don't want. The media would find out, and the GiW wouldn't be far behind.

The GiW already know who my human persona is. How could they not? My traitor "friends" had been feeding them information ever since I had first obtained my ghost powers. My heartstrings twanged in bitter grief at the thought of their betrayal.

Tuck and Sam knew about Vlad Masters, too. But since Vlad is such a powerful political figure, they couldn't do anything to him. Everyone would be suspicious if a billionaire suddenly disappeared right off the map. Detectives would be hired, everyone would be curious, and etc…

But me?

I was just a stupid, little, obnoxious teenager that, if I vanished, wouldn't affect the government. Besides, if the GiW revealed the fact that Vlad was half-ghost, everyone would blame the government for allowing him his position (even though, Vlad did overshadow pretty much everyone in town and force them to vote for him, but that's a story for a different time).

"Earth to Danny?" Robin snaps his fingers a couple of times, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, just thinking."

I blush a little. "What was the question again?"

"Who's your uncle?"

"…John Smith."

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you: the worst cover name ever!

"He's lying." Raven interjects calmly, not even bothering to open her eyes. She's still floating in her meditative position, still looking a little tenser than usual.

Stupid empathic abilities.

And suddenly, an anger wells up inside me, scaring me with its intensity.

Which is saying something.

The rage travels throughout my body, roaring, demanding action. How dare they dig into my past? How dare they dredge up these painful memories? How dare they make me lie and close myself off? My nails dig into my palms, drawing blood.

Raven's eyes snap open in surprise and she uncrosses her legs, zooming towards us. "Danny, don't!"

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?" I scream, pouring as much grief and rage and frustration into the sound as I can. A wave of burning, indescribable heat rolls through me, and emerald flames crackle into existence, racing up and down my body. The tongues of fire do not harm me, but the air around me shimmers like a heat wave. Robin stares in total surprise, along with the other Titans, save for Cyborg, who is still taking a shower in the locker rooms. The green fire twists in spirals to the ceiling, engulfing me completely in its wake. I can feel my eyes explode unnaturally bright green.

I'm so tired of it all. I just want it to _end_. Blood pounds in my ears. Red clouds my rapidly blurring vision. I'm losing control. The programming is setting in. Even now, I can feel my free will slipping away, leaving a destructive monster in its wake.

My feverishly burning green eyes fall on Robin. My brain quickly identifies him as a target. My palm raises, my face devoid of any emotion, aiming towards him. Ghostly fire twists around my arm and springs off my fingers, assuming the shape of a dragon's head as it travels through the air. The jaw of the beast splits open wide, revealing its fearsome maw. An anguished roar manages to tear itself from my throat as the destructive blast hits the Boy Wonder, branching off into tongues of emerald as it impacts his body.

Immediately, my anger vanishes. My brain snaps back to normal, and my raised arm falls to my side.

"No…" I whisper, eyes wide, staring at the thick, twisting column of smoke where the leader of the Titans once stood. My hands start to shake and my heart pounds with shame and fear. I'm an idiot. An honest to goodness idiot. My head drops into my hands as I stumble backwards. How could I let this happen? How could I lose control like that?

My ghostly core beckons, begging to take over and fly out of here. _It's time, _the voice in my head chides gently, _we need to leave. We shouldn't have stayed here for so long, anyway._ I wipe the sweat from my face (the moisture is _not_ tear tracks) and stand up. I can barely bring my head up to look at the others; see their rage-filled faces, their shock, betrayal, hurt.

_Man up. You did something incredibly wrong and you have to face up to it._

I lift my head, peering at them through the black bangs falling in my eyes. Tears (from the smoke, of course) blur my eyesight, bleeding together colors and shapes. My eyes fall on the forms of the Titans.

My breath catches in my throat.

Robin stands before me, looking slightly guilty and a little more than surprised. Black, shimmering magic melts into the floor, flowing across the ground to Raven, who absorbs the energy back into her outstretched palms.

"So…um…yeah…I'm fine…sorry about that…I just…we had to see if you had powers, you know…since we didn't know how Beastboy was healed…and all…yeah." Robin says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Eyes still wide, I lean to the side and look at the wall behind him. The plaster is scorched black and little green patches of fire still burn in some areas. Noticing this the same time as I do, Beast Boy quickly shuffles over and repeatedly smacks the wall until the little fires are put out, smiling sheepishly all the while.

I turn my attention back to Robin.

"So you're saying…you baited me…just to see if I had any powers…even knowing that I might have accidentally killed you."

Robin shrugs, flushing a bright red color. "Um, yeah. I came up with the plan this morning while you were still sleeping."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You're a crazy lunatic, you know that?" I walk over to him, my boots thumping loudly on the floor. I hesitate a second, then reach a hand out and pat his shoulder awkwardly. "But you're a crazy lunatic that's still alive, and I guess…that's all that matters."

I pause another second, remembering the horrible guilt and shame, then add softly, "I'm sorry. I… I lost control of my emotions again."

Raven looks up slightly, her dark purple eyes widening in surprise. "You need to control your emotions? Are they tied with your powers?"

Everyone, myself included, stares at her in shock. I think that's the greatest amount of words I've ever heard her speak before, in the loudest tone, too.

I fiddle with the hem of my black, long-sleeved shirt, not meeting her crystalline eyes. Our awkward (my awkward) stare fest from before is still fresh in my mind.

"Um…yes and no. If I get too angry or out of control, then I…I go into a sort of trance…where my brain basically targets everything as my enemy."

Self-loathing swings back around. Stupid programming, stupid GiW, stupid powers, stupid Sa-

"Oh…" Raven floats back a little, allowing her teammates to crowd around me, but I'm taller than everyone here (excluding Cyborg) and I can see her head lower in thought and her fingers clench into fists.

Starfire swoops in front of me, giggling heartily. "Oh, how joyous, friend, we may now be heroes together and rid the city of evil!"

My spine stiffens, and the room's temperature drops a noticeable amount of degrees.

"No," I state flatly, hardening my ice-cold gaze.

She tilts her head to the side in puzzlement. "Why not? Why would you not use the gifts you have been given to help others?"

A small, bitter laugh bubbles from my lips before I can stop it. I look at my hands and snap my fingers crisply. Immediately, tongues of bright green fire burst into existence, flickering and reaching for the ceiling. Wind swirls around my hands, teasing the flames and pulling them in every direction, until the little fires, no bigger than a lit birthday cake candle, are suddenly snuffed out, leaving no trace they had ever existed.

I glare at my palms angrily, making the comparison between the flames, me, and the wind, life.

"Gifts? More like curses."

"Which brings us to another question…" Cyborg began.

"What else can you do?" Beast Boy finished.

I pause for a few seconds, contemplating which powers I should reveal and which I should keep hidden. Ice beams? Sure, why not. Besides, I still have to prank Robin to get back at him. Ghost fire? Yeah, they've already seen that, so they know. Healing? Again, they've already seen it in action. Duplication? Nope, that's definitely a keep-under-wraps thing. Teleportation?

I tip my head to the side, thinking…back at the prison compound, I remember vaguely that I instinctually teleported out of the area when the hallucinations began. So they have seen me teleport.

But do they know that…Wraith…is me?

I struggle to hide a growing smirk as it clicks in my brain. How hilarious. Are they always this slow on the uptake?

I make a choice; I'll show them my enhanced senses, ghost fire, ice manipulation, and healing. That means no flying or using my dirk (dang), and _especially_ no transforming into my ghost half.

This will be interesting.

After I'd divulged the info about my powers (at least, the ones that I had chosen to let them know of), we'd migrated to the living room, where the tension in the room slowly began to dissolve. For the first time in years, I felt like the heavy burden resting on my shoulders had been lightened considerably.

I found it was easier to smile, easier to laugh and joke and just, well, _relax._

Still, my fingers unconsciously find their way to my arm, absent-mindedly rubbing the spot where I know the scars are. They serve as a dark reminder of who I am now, what I've been through. I can't lose sight of that. While the ordeal did weaken me greatly…well, they say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

**~(^_^)~**

Dinner was nice. Apparently, Cyborg felt really bad that I had made them breakfast when I was the one staying at their home, and, to make up for it, he cooked up a huge batch of his "wonderful, world famous waffles". He burned a couple of them to a crisp for Starfire, who apparently thought they tasted, in her words, exactly like the "zorlas" back at her home planet.

I knew better than to comment, and just kept my mouth shut.

Beast Boy kept asking me to do tricks with my powers. At first, I refused. But he kept wheedling and whining and prodding and eventually I just pointed my finger at his drink and blasted a tongue of extremely hot green fire at it, bringing the water to a boil within a second, making the water explode all over his face.

I caught Raven's fleeting smile when Beast Boy stood there stupidly, his mouth hanging open and steaming water dribbling down his cheeks. (He'd run around for a few minutes after that screaming shrilly because his face was soaked by hot water, until Robin thrust his head in the sink, turned the spigot, and blasted him with icy water while Beast Boy spluttered indignantly.)

Then Beast Boy provoked a food fight in retaliation by flinging a bit of tofu waffle at me (which I ducked under easily). It sailed overhead and hit Cyborg, who turned and, using his formidable spatula, flung a half-cooked waffle at the changeling.

Only Cyborg could look so murderously threatening while wearing a "Kiss the Cook!" apron and clutching a spatula in his hand.

Of course, Robin made us clean it up afterwards (I only listened because I felt slightly guilty that I had slammed him in the face with a syrup-soaked, half-eaten waffle sometime during the fight), but the atmosphere still felt so…happy.

My powers…were encouraged here. I wasn't beaten when they sprang out of control or when I didn't follow orders. I was accepted, just like that.

It felt good. It felt so, _so_ good.

At least, it did until Beast Boy nailed me in the back of the head with the soggy waffle he was _supposed_ to be throwing in the trashcan.

**~(^_^)~**

I give a tired sigh, stretching and touching my toes, trying to suppress a yawn. The buzz from dinner had died down, and everyone in the team was resting comfortably in the common room. Cyborg and Beast Boy were, as usual, pounding away on their game controllers with incredibly focused looks on their faces. Starfire was painting her nails light pink with a glossy container of nail polish. As I watched lazily from my position on the couch, I noted that she was getting more of the stuff on the paper towel spread out under her hands than her actual fingernails.

Robin had disappeared somewhere quietly a while ago, and when I asked Beast Boy and Cyborg where he had gone, they exchanged glances and shrugged. "Research," they'd said in perfect unison, already turning back to their game, "like always."

I roll over on the couch and punch the armrest, hoping to form the saggy, loose folds of fabric covering it into a more comfortable shape. To my irritation, it is still as uncomfortable as ever, and I sigh, bouncing my left foot up and down at a fast pace.

To be honest, I want to fly. I want to feel that pleasurable tingle as gravity loses its power over me and I bound upwards into the heavens, trailing through clouds, wind tousling my hair…

My head turns to the west, where I can see the brilliant sunset through the reinforced glass, paneled windows. Entranced, I push off the couch and slip across the room, pausing next to the window.

It's truly a beautiful view. The sun was a large, flaming orb radiating halos of colors in varying shades of intensity. Cumulonimbus clouds pile up behind the sinking sun, forming a creamy white canvas for the colors to splash upon as if someone tipped over a multitude of paint cans. The ocean spread from horizon to horizon, and the deep blue waters were smooth, with short waves that barely stirred the surface. I place a hand on the glass, spreading out my fingers, enraptured by its beauty.

I spent a lot of time in the mountains, hiding out in caves and other such natural shelters. The mountains hold their own kind of rugged beauty, especially in the fall, but it's been so long since I last saw a sunset at the beach… I'd forgotten how beautiful they were.

I sigh and flex my fingers, wishing so badly with every fiber of my being to be out in that fiery sky, drifting aimlessly…maybe I should show them my ability to fly, after all…

"It's even prettier when you watch it from the top of the tower," a timid voice says softly from behind me, and I whirl, hands automatically clenching into fists, eyebrows lifted in surprise.

Starfire drifts back a few inches nervously. She gives me an anxious smile. "Friend Danny, you must see it from the top of the roof."

I chew my bottom lip, processing her strange assortment of words…top of roof…rooftop…oh, okay. Got it.

I turn partly, waving a hand. "How do…um, how do I get there?"

Starfire smiles brightly, revealing perfect white teeth. "Oh! You are unfamiliar with our home, yes? I shall show you the way!"

Rolling my eyes slightly at her enthusiasm, I follow her out of the common room and into the hallway. Starfire hums cheerfully as she flies, her scarlet, glossy hair trailing behind her in the air like the tail of a burning comet. We stop outside of a large elevator. Starfire scans her palm on a thin silver pad placed at about eye-level next to the closed elevator doors.

"Welcome, Titan Starfire." A mechanized, automatic feminine voice issues from the speakers and Starfire giggles.

"Thank you, invisible friend." The doors unfold quickly and silently and we climb on. Starfire turns to me and says, "I have always wondered where the invisible speaker hides. Surely she cannot fit in that little box, and I have searched the Tower, but I have never managed to find her."

I'm doing my best not to laugh, but a small chuckle slips out. "It's a programmed voice, Starfire. The person isn't actually there, it's just a recording."

"Oh." She looks at the panel of flashing buttons, trailing her finger along them until she reaches the very top one, labeled, 'R'. R for roof. "Do you mind if I press the button? Beast Boy and Cyborg always argue over who gets to press it when they ride. I think it might be a human tradition to argue over the pressing of buttons whenever one is in an elevator."

I shake my head no, suppressing a smile. Who knew her joyful mood could be so infectious?

"It's all right, Starfire, you can press it. I don't mind."

"Thank you, friend Danny."

"Please, just call me Danny. No need to put 'friend' in front of it."

"I apologize, frie- um, Danny. It is a habit of mine to label those I meet as friends, enemies, and the like."

I give her a quick, reassuring smile and hold it there firmly in place, beginning to grow a little exasperated with her incessant chatter. "It's fine."

Finally, after a period of time filled with Starfire's relentless gabbing, the doors pinged, a light affixed above them flashed and the doors slid open. I step out, followed closely by Starfire, who is still talking.

"-and after Beast Boy attempted to transform into a snake, the villain tied him around a pole, and Robin had to untie him before he could de-morph." She giggled behind her hand. "It was quite amusing."

"Uh-huh." I'm starting to wonder why I chose to go to the roof in the first place. I'm not sure if it's worth it anymore. I think my ears are bleeding.

After leaving the elevator, we were faced with a short hallway and a staircase at the end. Starfire stops and, smiling, turns and floats back to the elevator doors. "That is the roof," she calls over her shoulder, already scanning her palm again to go back down. "Be careful; friend Raven might be meditating. She does not like to be disturbed."

Wait. What?

"Starfire, wait-!"

Too late. The doors slide shut with an ominous clang. The light above the closed doors goes red, signaling that the elevator is in use.

If this were an anime cartoon show, I would have sweat-dropped.

I briefly consider waiting for the elevator to become available again so I can leave, but I realize that Raven can probably already sense my emotions from where I am anyway. It would look like I was trying to avoid her if I left now.

Well, I am trying to avoid her (I still feel a little awkward from earlier), but it's not like I want her to know that. I ascend the steel steps, jamming my hands deep into the folds of my hoodie. No turning back now. I grasped the doorknob, twisted, and pushed the door open, faltering for the slightest second. Silence.

I step across the threshold of the door and onto the roof.

**~(^_^)~**

The second I take a step forward, the salty air assaults my enhanced senses viciously, and I splutter a little, hacking violently to clear my burning lungs. I had already grown accustomed to the cool air conditioning of Titans Tower. Eyes watering, I wipe them with the back of my sleeve, sniffling. I focus for a brief second, eyes glowing a bright acid green, and rein in my senses, restricting them to normal human limits. The pungent, overpowering smell of salt recedes and weakens in an instant, and I sigh in relief, giving one last cough.

"Are you all right?" The quiet, monotone voice, laced with slight contempt and annoyance, comes from my left. My eyes snap back to their normal color and I twist my head.

Raven floats cross-legged in a lotus position about three feet off the roof of the Tower, near the edge of the building. A gentle ocean breeze plays with her thick, deep blue cloak, and the material snaps and flicks in retaliation, billowing behind her like a blue cloud. Her back faces me and she doesn't turn around, even when she speaks.

"I'm fine, it's just…ah, wasn't used to the salty air…yeah."

Why am I suddenly so awkward? I never have this problem. But right here, right now, I find myself tongue-tied, reddening rapidly as though I had just run a hundred miles without stopping.

Raven says nothing. I rub the back of my neck and wonder what would be more awkward- if I stood here and said nothing, or if I went and sat next to her.

Her floating figure bobs slightly in the breeze as she turns herself around to face me, opening one lavender eye.

"I'm meditating. If you have _nothing else to do_, you can join me." She stresses the 'nothing else to do' part, as if in a warning, before turning back around to face the magnificent sunset. Sighing, I walk over to her, walking on my toes lest I disturb her concentration.

Since I can't fly (in front of them anyway), I have to sit on the edge of the building, dangling my feet over the edge, with a distance of about a foot between Raven and I.

After about a minute of silence, Raven sighs and looks at me again, this time deigning to open both of her elegantly shaped eyes.

"You don't know how to meditate, do you?"

"Never done it before in my life," I agreed. She lowers herself to the ground and faces me.

"The first key is relaxation. You need to loosen every muscle and nerve. Let your heartbeat slow and breathe in accordance to its beats." She demonstrates by taking long, deep breaths, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. "In order to relax, you need to let go of all your worries, frustrations, and problems."

_Uh…I have pretty big problems…_

"…Sure." I copy her example, breathing in unison with her. My heartbeat began to slow. I concentrate on my body, relaxing each muscle, lightly closing my eyes.

"Now you need a phrase to say. Something that helps you focus. For example, mine: Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

I struggle to find one that sounds as cool as hers.

"Um…got any suggestions?" I hear her give a quiet sigh.

"Just pick something."

I shrug mentally. _Well, okay then…_"Then what?'

"Repeat it mentally, then, when you feel comfortable enough, say it out loud."

"…Big Mac…with fries…Big Mac…with fries…and a large root beer…"

She sighs again, and I open one eye expectantly, only to see her regarding me with an impatient look. "If you aren't mature enough to do this, then you're wasting my time, as well as yours."

I shrug, this time for real. "Sorry. Please continue." I flash her a winning smile.

She breathes in deeply through her nose and closes her eyes. "Relax your body again. Chant a phrase in your head."

"Okay." I did the whole relaxing thing until I was comfortably at ease, then began racking my brain for something to say.

A proverbial bolt of lightning strikes me and I smack myself, rolling my eyes at my own stupidity. "Oh, duh!"

"Found something?"

"Yeah." _Going ghost…going ghost…going ghost…_

"Good. Repeat it."

"Okay. Then what?"

I open my eyes and she does the same as a particularly strong wind curls around us, whipping her cape around her body and smacking against her face. I stifle a laugh as she struggles to untangle it, huffing angrily. Finally, she manages to throw it off her head, revealing her blushing face, her tousled and wind-swept lilac hair. The setting sun creates a backlit effect and shines through the fine strands of violet hair waving in the breeze, making their edges glow, and I'm suddenly at a loss for words again. The scene before me is picture perfect- she's positioned directly in the middle of the sinking orb, which casts orange and red shadows on the ocean's rippling surface. The sun's dying rays burst from behind her, spreading out to the rest of the sky.

She tucks some of her hair behind her ear, but it escapes immediately and blows merrily in the air. Her amethyst eyes lock on my sapphire ones, and I'm caught up in that stunning, intelligent gaze. Her eyes narrow thoughtfully and she tilts her head in consideration, resting her chin on one pale hand.

An enchanting silence wraps around us gently while the breeze murmurs in our ears.

"Um…" My mouth struggles to form coherent words while my mind is still in a stunned blank.

A seagull's squawk pierces the air as it dips in the sea breeze and flies directly over us, trailing a shadow along underneath it as it soars past overhead. The harsh sound breaks the spell and I blink rapidly, shaking my head to clear the stars. By the time my eyes adjust again, Raven is suddenly on the opposite side of the roof, her hood drawn up and her back to me. Her figure is slightly hunched over. I push myself to my feet and walk over to her.

"Raven…?" The _are you okay? _hangs in the air unspoken. She hunches over even more.

"I'm fine. Please leave."

"But…"

"I said, _leave!"_ She spins around and her stunning eyes disappear in the darkness of her hood. A second later, four slanted, crimson colored eyes appear, shining with bright cruelty and anger. I take a step back, holding up my hands in a peace gesture.

"Whoa, relax, it's okay. You want to be alone. I get it. Sorry."

I spin around on my heel and stalk to the door, berating myself mentally for being such an idiot. _Staring at her like a creeper, you freaking moron…geez, you're so stupid. _

I grab the door handle and pull violently, swinging it open forcefully. She wants to be alone? Fine! I'll leave her alone. I was just trying to be nice and sociable, which is definitely not an easy concept for me, and she has to go and snap at me like I offended her or something!

"Wait." Her voice calls, much softer this time, and I falter, one foot in the air.

"What?" It comes out a bit rougher than I originally intended.

"I…I didn't mean to snap. I'm…" In the ensuing silence I can almost hear her lips struggle to summon the right words. "I'm sorry," she finishes after a few seconds, very quietly. It's obvious that she doesn't apologize much.

I let my shoulders relax and I turn around, shutting the door with my foot and leaning against it. "It's fine. You want to be alone; this is your time to meditate by yourself. I get it. I'm sorry I intruded."

She opens her mouth to say something, but I smile gently. "I'm not mad. Slip-ups happen."

She says nothing; instead, she closes her mouth and frowns slightly, a crease appearing between her eyebrows.

I turn around and open the door again, slipping into the short hall.

**~(^_^)~**

**THE END! Thank you all for reading my story, it's been a pleasure. I might make a sequel later.**

**...**

**Just Kidding! Hahahahaha! Like it would be over now...pfft. You sillies. Thanks for reading, and drop me a line! Ask questions, say what was funny, what was good, bad, etc... oh, and feel free to PM me and start up a conversation if you want. XD I'm a lonely person. ;)**

**By the way, deadlydaisy8o8 made a fanart picture on Deviantart. You guys keep it coming! If anyone draws something, post it SOMEWHERE and throw me a link! I still can't believe I have FANART! **

**I drew a picture of Wraith, too, and I'm quite proud of it, but I have no scanner or technological know-how on how to post these things. :'( *sob***

**To those who read my other stories: _Second Chances_ is next on the list to be updated!**


	9. Chapter 9: Why I Hate Exams

**You guys. Words cannot express how happy you have made me.**

**52 REVIEWS FOR LAST CHAPTER! I REALLY LOVE YOU ALL!**

**This is incredible! Thank you thank you thank you!**

**By the way, THIS IS NOT OVER! I WAS JOKING! JEEZ! Last chapter, as you may or may not recall, I JOKINGLY said it was over and that there might be a sequel. I can't believe I got some of you! This fic is going to go on for a VERY long time, I assure you. Like, I'm thinking years! Don't worry, I would NEVER EVER end a story without tying up all the loose ends first!**

**I know updates have been MEGA slow lately, and I apologize for that. I thought my schedule would be more freed up in the summer, but between vacations to places that lack Wi-Fi, sickness, family issues, and writer's block, it's been a struggle to update continuously. **

**Oh, and another thing. **

**TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD As a present to me, do you guys think we can reach 300 reviews? That would be the best birthday present ever!**

**Special thanks to:**

**Battler127, seantriana, unknown, deadlydaisy8o8, lunalovegood0628, Cloud9timeforEmu, phantomgirl95, SonOfLucifer, DizzlyPuzzled, Blood Brandy, supaherolena02, Riqis Inna Sunja, Pass the peas and pies please, Cy, Snickerdoodle22, Toybox Secrets, Zii Raevyn, book phan44, LuNa, RaeSoul, dreamwritergoddess, juniperlei, LandofMidnightRain, ChopSuzi, senecka, VampireFrootloopsRule, mountainelements, somnialunae, juniperfalcon17, HalfafanD, GriffinRose, Leo112 (nice poem, btw, I loved it), prophetofgreed, RaDiaNTFreezez, ShadowedFang, cocoa85715, Shen an Calhar, Nysk, SpiritAni, MoonlightBushido, MangaMagic, Random Flyer, hopeistheway, Slytherin's Pimp, 2011Gokurocks18110411, Cat, Animegal809, phangirl4eva, TheGlassAngel, Athina Dark-Angel of Death, , Chrizzie1**

**For reviewing! (ow my hand really hurts now and I'm sorry if I misspelled your name!)**

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**OKAY, WAIT, THIS IS THE LAST THING, I SWEAR: It's been done before. The whole 'Danny as Slade's apprentice thing.' It's kind of cliché now. So, I've decided to open a poll. **

**Those of you who want there to be a 'Danny as Slade's apprentice' arc, VOTE IN YOUR REVIEWS because I know we're all too lazy to go to my profile if I set up a legit poll. Those of you in favor of the normal 'Robin as Slade's apprentice' arc, you vote your opinion too! THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO SUGGESTIONS! Nothing else!**

**Have a nice day!**

**Haunted Memories**

**Chapter 9: Why I Hate Exams**

**By: Dreams2Paper11**

**~(^_^)~**

"Excuse me."

I look up at the sound of a voice, instinctively tensing my muscles. My fingers clench into fists at my sides and I automatically brace myself for an incoming blow.

Geez, I'm so pathetic at times it genuinely bothers me.

A girl, tall and slim, with long, wavy brown hair and slanted blue eyes stands a few feet in front of me, leaning casually against a shelf half-full of books. She's dressed in a classy schoolgirl uniform, complete with a short ruffled skirt, a polo shirt with cropped sleeves, and a deep blue vest with a low cut. She leans jauntily against one of the sturdy bookshelves, casually winding her long velvet red tie around her slim fingers while her eyes rove over my frame hungrily.

Oh no.

And I thought the GiW were bad.

I crane my head, looking to the left and right of the large _Barnes and Nobles_.

_Please please PLEASE tell me she's not the one talking to me._ As if sensing my plight, any other customers browsing the shelves in the immediate vicinity edge away nervously, slinking out of sight behind the bookshelves. I scowl at them slightly. _Cowards_.

She lets out a small, impatient cough into her hand to grab my attention, still watching me with glittering eyes.

A small unnoticeable sigh puffs between my lips and I have to force my lips not to curl in an annoyed grimace. Just by the crafty gleam in her eyes, I can tell what she wants.

Disgusting. It's like I almost _feel _her gaze undressing me, and I have the urge to cover myself with something.

All I wanted was _one_ evening to myself, or was that too much to ask for? I've been hanging out at Titans Tower for the past week, now! I just needed a little alone time. Even though the Tower was safe, since no one in Jump knew I was currently living with the Titans, my claustrophobia began to kick in after four days. I wasn't used to being in the presence of people for extended periods of time. On the fifth day, it was getting unbearable and my eye wouldn't stop twitching. The sixth, I couldn't stop shaking. I finally managed to sneak out on the seventh, today, when the Titans went out for pizza after a stressful period of time spent searching for the TV remote.

Back to the present. I clear my throat a little and dog-ear the page I was on, snapping the thick book shut and setting it on my lap.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I ask politely, leaning back in the cushy armchair a little and uncrossing my legs. _Go away, go away, go away…_

She flips a wave of cascading, chocolate brown hair over her shoulder and sends me the tiniest smirk.

"Well, I _guess_ you could say that." She pushes off the wooden bookshelf and falls into the armchair closest to mine with a dramatic sigh, arrogantly propping her feet up on the small, low, coffee table in the middle of the ring of chairs. My fingers tighten their hold on the old tome in my lap. My nails leave small crescent-shaped marks in the aged and tanned leather.

"Please, enlighten me, then." If this girl had half a brain, she would have heard the icy undertone in my words and run for her life. She props her petite chin on her even more petite hand, giving me a good view of her shiny manicured nails. She lets out a high-pitched giggle that goes on for _way_ too long and reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.

"Such a gentleman! You know, it's hard to come across a guy with manners."

_Believe me, I can be VERY impolite when I want to. _

She leans forward, placing her elbows on the armrest of my chair. I lean away slightly, more than a little unnerved by her straightforward approach.

"Thanks." What I really wanted to say was, _'Get away from me, Satan!'_

But that would be impolite, and I have to keep up my image. I'm _such_ a gentleman, after all. Hah.

The corner of my mouth lifts in a smirk.

She mistakes this as a sign that I'm 'interested' and carries on. "You're _sooooo_ totally welcome. You know, I haven't seen you around before…um…?"

She wants my name. No. Way. In. Heck. Let's see…what's a good geeky name…hmmm…

I grin widely. "Oh, my name's Sheldon." Her flawless smile fades a little, and then brightens again. _Shoot_. This one's relentless. A few years ago, I would have given up an arm and a leg for a situation like this: a pretty girl chasing after _me_, for once. Now, they're just kind of annoying. I guess that's one perk of having a wake-up call so early on in life. I can't believe I ever wasted my time hunting for fake, cruel, pretty girls like these.

"Oh, cool," she says reply to my earlier statement, and waits for me to ask for her name. I don't. I have to turn my head a little to hide the growing smirk as she looks at me expectantly. A few seconds of silence pass and my gaze wanders down to my book. My fingers stroke the slightly yellowed pages longingly. I wish this conversation was over already.

"_Anyway_," she says a little impatiently, her voice tinged with annoyance, "my name's Samantha-"

I jolt, neck snapping up. My eyes widen, my heart starts pounding. Of _all_ the names…!

"-but _you_ can call me Sam." She inches forward, draping her arms loosely across my armrest, dangerously close to my chest, and flashes a blinding smile. Her long black eyelashes, heavily laden with Mascara, flutter flirtatiously. "Or…maybe even Sammie…" she breathes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

My eyes are wide open, but I can't see my surroundings when the flashback hits me like a tornado. My body jerks to attention in the sofa chair, every single muscle coiled and rigid.

"_Ugh, I hate them!" Sam exclaimed hotly in anger, falling on my bed with a huff. I sent her an amused smile. _

"_Aw, did your parents call you Sammie again, widdle Sammiekins?" I teased her, sitting down in my computer chair. Sam sat up and grabbed my pillow, throwing it at my head with pinpoint accuracy and frightening power. Unprepared, I didn't have any time to dodge as it smacked me in the face with enough force to send the computer chair spinning out of control. I cried out in surprise and held on to the back of the chair as it whirled, skidding across the floor._

"_Aw, **Daniel**, did I hurt you?" She taunted me in a baby voice, but when I removed the pillow from my face, I could see the playful gleam in her entrancing purple eyes._

I manage to close my eyelids and massage them with my fingers, rubbing away the flashbacks. I'm starting to get a little dizzy…

A small hand rests on my arm.

"Are you okay, Sheldon?" Her simpering voice is so heavily laden with lust and fake concern that I feel the need to burn off my entire arm. It's a good thing I always wear long-sleeved shirts. The sight of my scars (thanks for those, GiW) would probably make her call the police. A visit from the authorities is the last thing I need right now, when I'm on the verge of a bout of temporary insanity. Who knows what I would do if threatened while in this rapidly worsening condition?

"'M'fine." No, I'm not. My body is starting to shake a little and a cold sweat is breaking out across my skin, raising goosebumps. I'm fighting the flashbacks and hallucinations, but the multitudes of dots in my peripheral vision are starting to make me nauseous.

"Are you sure? I can probably…make you feel better."

I crack open one eye just in time to catch her wink.

This is getting out of hand.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I stand up abruptly, knocking her hand off my arm, and grab my book, striding towards the bookstore's exit, barely hearing her indignant cry of protest. I thank God that I don't tip over and crash to the floor from vertigo, because that would have totally ruined my dramatic exit.

Another round of flashing lights burst in front of my eyes, along with the voices. I can almost feel them wreathing around me like invisible smoke, trailing across my skin and whispering in my ear...

"_Freak…"_

"_You're not my son."_

"_Disgusting filthy piece of ectoplasm!"_

"_Sorry Danny, but I-we-were _**never**_ your friends."_

I want to clap my hands over my ears and curl up somewhere nice and quiet. I blink my eyes to clear away the dancing black spots and speed up, almost clipping my foot on the base of one of the tall bookshelves.

I bump shoulders accidentally with a tall, extremely muscular man with an eye patch and white, almost shaggy hair and a trimmed goatee. My book slips between my fingers, jarred out of my hold by the collision, and falls to the floor, landing with its cover face-up: _Chinese Legends and Forces of Nature. _I was going to buy it, considering how it seemed like it would be an interesting and informative read, but it doesn't matter now. I need to get out of here, and I don't have time to stop and pay for it. I leave it lying there on the floor, twisting around long enough to mutter an apology and watch the man pick it up, curiously leafing through the pages.

"Hey! Wait up, I wasn't done talking to you!"

I groan, walking faster, almost running for the exit now. It's always the stubborn ones…

I'm getting double vision and my head is pounding as the voices strengthen from mere whispers to angry roars. I can't hold off the hallucination attack much longer…

Fingers dig into my shoulder. My right hand immediately flashes up, gripping her wrist and wrenching it off of me none too gently.

"_WORTHLESS PIECE OF-"_

She lets out a surprised gasp from my speed and I turn to look at her, my face twisted in a vicious scowl. My willpower is the only thing keeping my eyes from glowing.

"Look, I'm not interested! Go bother someone else, because frankly, I don't care about how much_ you can make me feel better._"

She sniffs and tears her arm out of my grasp, crossing both of them over her chest. "Fine! You don't know what you're missing."

I couldn't resist one last sarcastic jibe. "Really? Doesn't seem like I'm missing too much."

She gasps in rage and lifts a hand to slap me, but I latch onto her wrist again and force it down by her side. She lets out a surprised grunt, shocked by my strength.

I smirk coldly at the flash of wariness in her eyes. "Guess I'm not such a gentleman after all."

I let go, spin on my heel, and stalk out of the bookstore, leaving _Sammie _standing there, trembling with rage, in the middle of the shop.

**~(^_^)~**

The fresh afternoon air helps.

As I hurry down the streets of Jump City, taking deep, steady breaths, the wave of dizziness and nausea recedes slowly, as if reluctant to relinquish its grasp on my mind. The pounding migraine blooming behind my eyes also fades with each exhaled breath. The roars of accusing voices die down to quiet murmurs, and I let out a long, heavy sigh, rolling my shoulders to work out the kinks created from maintaining a stiff posture.

It's midday, with the sun, a blazing inferno too bright to look at, nearly directly overhead. The streets are busy with cyclists, cars, and pedestrians, all fighting for room on the paved roads and sidewalks. My eyes linger on a blocked off section of the road about twenty yards ahead, where a team of construction workers struggle to clear away large fragments of rubble. Probably from the last battle that took place. Honestly, why do they even try? I can almost guarantee that the entire road will be smashed by tomorrow. Those poor workers must get paid a lot.

I throw the hood of my hoodie up over my head to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight. It might look strange, wearing a thick black hoodie and jeans in the middle of a hot summer day, but I ignore the curious looks thrown my way. I'm nearly immune to those now. After getting prodded, vivisected, and generally treated like a freak for a year while in the confines of the GiW facility, I could probably take the infamous 'Bat glare' from Batman with hardly a flinch. Oh, but it wasn't like that at first. When I escaped, I was a complete and total mess for a while after. I hid from society for a month or two before I was able to pluck up the nerve to even look someone in the eye. I was too fresh, too raw. My emotions had been way out of balance and my powers were disrupted as a result.

I avert my head slightly as a woman walking in my direction on the sidewalk looks at me weirdly. I shrug deeper into the depths of my hoodie. If I didn't have something hiding my features, I would feel like I'd been laid bare, almost naked. Even when I'm not in ghost form, I don't really prefer to show my face.

Not to mention, the long sleeves of my jacket hide the terrible scars on my arms. Like I would _want_ people staring at them in mixed horror and fascination and calling the cops.

"Yo! Danny! Over here, man!"

My head snaps to the side, immediately assessing the situation as I take an instinctive step back to put more space between me and a possible foe or foes.

Again. I'm so pathetic.

I walk over to where the rest of the Titans are, seething, as photographers snap pictures and murmur excitedly. _"Who's the new guy?" _and _"I don't know, maybe a new teammate?"_

And there goes my secrecy. Thanks, Cyborg.

"What is it?" I snap at them in a heated whisper, inclining my head slightly towards the eager paparazzi. Understanding dawns in Cyborg's eye and he blushes and rubs the back of his neck.

"Oh. Oops."

Yeah, _oops_. We agreed on keeping me out of the spotlight for now.

Beast Boy runs up to me, grinning. "Dude! We're getting pizza, 'cause, you know, Starfire kind of blew this icky goop everywhere. Want to join us?" He leans in closer and adds conspiratorially, "They have _soy_ cheese!"

I roll my eyes. "Fake cheese. How tempting."

Ever since I saved his life, Beast Boy has been tailing me around like a lost puppy. I didn't mind it until I exited the bathroom once and found him waiting for me. Talk about creepy.

"Do you want to or not?" Raven asks impatiently, with her usual _I don't care _vibe. "The reporters are getting excited."

I wince as one starts setting up a camcorder. I start to back away slowly.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm good." I pause, then add in a lower voice, too quiet for the surging paparazzi to hear, "I'll see you guys back at the Tower."

They nod and enter the pizza shop. Immediately, the reporters bombard me with questions.

"Are you a new Titan?"

"What's your name?"

"Do you have any powers?"

"How did you get here?"

"Are you currently dating Raven?"

I blush deeply, thankful that my hood hides my face.

"Uh, no questions. Bye!"

I turn and start running. The mob leaps after me, but it's easy enough to lose them in Jump's alleyways. Nobody wants to go in those, because that's where the thugs are. I don't feel like encountering any of the scum today, so I hide behind a dumpster and shift forms, immediately going invisible. My headache from earlier is starting to come back, probably from the bright flashes of the cameras, so I blast off into the sky, flying straight up.

Ten minutes later, I was performing various aerial maneuvers among the clouds, too high to be seen by the naked human eye. My white hood had fallen down ages ago, but it didn't matter. Up here, it was just the billowing clouds, the sun, and me. I flip on my back and cross my arms underneath my head as I drift along, simply thinking.

I know that the GiW and my parents can't pinpoint my exact location if they don't have samples of my DNA entered in their tracking devices. When I escaped the facility, I kind of…um…destroyed the entire building, along with their tracking devices. If I still had that chip in my arm, however, they would have definitely found me and brought me back by now.

It's a good thing I cut it out the moment I got out of the facility...I shudder as I recall the memory. Never have I ever been so thankful for my quick healing.

That doesn't mean, however, that the GiW can't track reports of strange flying creatures or "ghosts" across the globe.

It's simply a matter of them keeping an eye out for strange occurrences in the news.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. _Maybe if I died my hair and wore color-changing contacts? _

Something in one of my belt pockets buzzes. I sit up and fish out the Titan Communicator (Robin had given it to me just yesterday.) I hook my thumb underneath the lid and flick it open.

The screen is blank for a second before three words appear- _Connecting to: Robin…_

I sit there, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for it to load, when it occurs to me. I'm in my ghost form, as _Wraith_. A couple thousand feet off the ground. With nowhere to land and shift back to my normal form.

Oh shoot.

"Waaaah! Crapcrapcrap!" I juggle it frantically between my hands, panicking. Should I chuck it? No, Robin will have my head later if he finds out.

I look at the screen of the communicator, then at the ground. Even at my top speed, it would take at least a minute to get back down. A minute that I don't have.

I close my eyes, sigh, and transform.

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

Robin waited impatiently for the connection to finish loading. He was currently crouched behind large chunk of rubble while his teammates attempted to fend off their attackers. They had been caught by surprise and were faring badly. They needed help. He flinched when a pink hexbolt slammed the ground mere inches from his spot.

"Come out, Robin! Or should I say, _coward_." One of the Hive, the girl with pink hair, called out. Robin gritted his teeth and leaned out from behind his shelter long enough to hurl three explosive discs at the female villain. They knocked her back with an "_Ooof!" _and Robin smirked a little bit before turning his attention back to the communicator.

It finished connecting, and suddenly Robin was looking at Danny's face. He frowned. Danny's black hair was being violently blown around, and…was the background the _sky_? And why was it spinning?

"Hey Robin, what's up?" Danny yelled, but his words were slightly muffled. Robin wondered if his communicator had an issue with the audio transmission. He'd take a look at it later.

"Where are you?" He asked bluntly, baffled.

"Oh, um, at the new amusement park they installed on the docks. The rollarcoasters are-_ack_-killer!" He trailed off in a violent coughing fit, one hand clutching his throat.

Robin arched one eyebrow. "Okay, then…listen! We ne-"

His communicator was suddenly ripped out of his hands. He looked up and watched the big male, with long ginger hair, crush it in his hands. The shattered pieces crackled with electricity and fell to the ground. Robin scowled and backflipped to gain distance, pulling his Bo Staff out of his utility belt.

"Mammoth's gonna crush you, just like that!" The beast snarled, a cruel smile stretching across his brutish face.

Robin smirked and fell into a fighting position. "Bring it."

A quick glance around told him that Cyborg and Starfire were missing, and Raven and Beast Boy were down for the count. His heart pounded from adrenalin.

If he could just hang on long enough…hopefully, Danny knew that the team was in trouble…

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

I watch through watering eyes (from the wind) as the screen suddenly crackles with static, flashing rapidly between a white and black background. The call had ended abruptly while Robin was in mid-sentence. Immensely thankful, I quickly reach into my core and drag out my ghost form, shifting back in a burst of light. Immediately, my free-fall came to a halt as I hovered in place.

I bend over, feeling almost nauseated. "Aaaack! Oh, gross!" I wipe my tongue frantically, spitting out my saliva repeatedly. _Stupid bug._ It just _had_ to fly into my mouth when I was talking to Robin.

I lift the communicator to eye-level and glance at it, wondering what Robin needed. I was in the middle of a hacking fit, (courtesy of random bug), when he yelled his next sentence, so I hadn't exactly heard what he said.

_Whatever it is, they can probably handle it without me. After all, they _are_ the Teen Titans._

I lower back to earth, transforming behind the same dumpster I had used as cover earlier. The paparazzi had long since cleared out of the area, so I stroll out of the alley with only a minimal amount of sneakiness.

I walk down the sidewalk, kicking a pebble along with my shoe (come on, we've all done it before.) I really had no idea what to do next. But I had the whole day to myself, so…

I look over to my right, where, in the distance, I can see the top of a Ferris wheel. I _did_ tell Robin that I was at the amusement park, and it'd be a shame to lie to him…

I grin and start walking towards the entrance on the docks.

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

I grab a handful of the cotton candy and stuff it in my mouth, closing my eyes in delight as the flavor overwhelms my taste buds. The sweet candy melts on my tongue and I swallow, popping in another fistful, shifting the plastic bag pinned to my side by my right arm.

I was also carrying a giant stuffed chicken under my left arm. Those strength-o-meter games are just too easy when you have supernatural strength. I snicker when an old lady hobbling on the sidewalk gives me a strange look.

"What? I'm just an average guy with cotton candy and a huge chicken. Nothing to see here." I call out, shaking the stuffed chicken in her direction.

Can you tell I'm high from a sugar rush?

The grandma shakes her head and mutters something about 'the youth of today' and I stick a fist in my mouth to stop another round of laughs.

It's late in the evening, probably around seven or eight, when I reach the thin strip of beach. A magnificent sunset frames the Tower on the horizon. The bay's surface is calm and unruffled. The light summer breezes had died out a long time ago. I search my pockets for my communicator and power it on, then press the middle button. Then I sit down on a nearby boulder and wait, setting the giant chicken down beside me. I twist the top of my bag of cotton candy to seal it shut and put it on my lap.

I don't have to wait long.

A low humming buzz reaches my ears and I glance up, watching as a Jet Ski skims across the water, controlled by autopilot. I smile a little to myself. The Jet Ski is white with hints of green splashed everywhere. The Titans don't realize it, but the watercraft is decked out in my colors.

The sensor equipped on the Jet Ski forces it to slow down when it reaches shallow water, and the motor cuts off, leaving it to drift in with the small waves. I look at the plush chicken next to me.

"_Well_, that's our ride!"

I pick up the stuffed animal and saunter down the rocky beach. Rounded pebbles roll under my feet and make it hard to navigate the shifting ground, but I manage. I slosh through the shallows and sling one leg over the padded seat. A small, protected screen fixed to one of the handlebars lights up. Words scroll across it in block lettering.

_Please place thumb on scanner. _

I did as requested and waited for a second, until- _Fingerprint recognized. Please press the green button to start. _A closer inspection of the small row of buttons on the left handlebar reveals the location of the green button.

I press it and the Jet Ski roars to life, its loud motor breaking the silence into a thousand tiny quiet fragments. I grin in delight and scoff at the lifejacket resting on the front part of the seat. I push it off, into the water. It bobs with the waves.

What's life without a little excitement?

The ride only takes a minute or two. I park the watercraft in the dock's shed and make my way up to Titan Tower's front door, which happens to be unbelievably tall and imposing, for your information. I stand in front of it awkwardly, staring into the identifying camera lens and making weird faces for the heck of it as it scans my eyeball. The door slides open a moment later and I walk in, pushing my hood back on my shoulders as I enter.

"Hey, I'm back, and I brought a chicken-WHO THE HECK _ARE _YOU?"

Three people leap to their feet, bristling aggressively. One is slender and willowy, with cotton candy pink hair pulled up in stiff ponytails and cat-like pink eyes. Her skin is pale, kind of like Raven's, and she wears dark, modern witch/punk type clothing. She might look delicate, but I can see the coiled muscles ready to spring at a moment's notice. The next is a…a little kid? No, I'm completely serious. He's bald with squinty eyes and goggles placed on the top of his head. He's wearing a green spandex jumpsuit, with a mechanical backpack clinging to his shoulders. The last person looks the oldest and is definitely the biggest, with bulging muscles and a black and gold jumpsuit. His ginger hair is long and stringy and swept away from his beastly face. He's got the longest sideburns I have ever seen in my life. They kind of creep me out. A lot.

"Who the heck are _you_?" The little bald weirdo replies in an annoyingly high-pitched voice (even worse than Beast Boy's!), glaring daggers at me. "Another pit-sniffing Titan?"

I drop my stuffed chicken to the floor and kick it out of the way, apologizing to it in my head.

"Who the heck are you?" I mimic his stupid voice. "A kid who gets his insults off the back of a cereal box?"

The pink-haired one stifles a giggle with a petite hand. The Ginger, as I have dubbed him, doesn't bother to hold back his roars of laughter at the kid's expense. Baldy flushes darker than a cherry and whips out a controller from his freaky little backpack. "You'll regret saying that!"

"And you'll regret letting your mom buy your clothing for you from the toddler aisle!"

Ooh, I hit a nerve. Baldy tightens his little grubby hands on the controller, his face twisted in a scowl.

"That's it, you're going down!"

"Hold on," Cat Lady says, throwing out a hand to stop Baldy's advance. "This guy wasn't in the files Slade sent us."

_Slade. _I catalogue the name in my head for future reference.

"Tell us your name, kid," Ginger rumbles, flexing his fists by his side, "before we beat it out of ya."

I face-palm, saying in a deadpan that would make Raven proud, "Wow. Okay. That _really_ makes me want to tell you." I slide around them nonchalantly, heading for the kitchen.

"What? Where are you going?" Baldy exclaims, surprised, his aggressive anterior melting away for a second.

"To get a drink," I call over my shoulder, "I'm flipping thirsty. Cotton Candy really dries out your mouth."

"Cotton Candy?" Ginger questions eagerly, a bit of drool escaping his fanged mouth.

"Yeah, here, you can have the rest." I toss him the remains and watch in mildly disturbed fascination as he eats the whole thing in one gulp, plastic bag and all.

"You still haven't answered our question," Cat Lady remarks, watching me through narrowed pink eyes. I shrug and open the fridge door.

"Which one? The _Are you a Titan_ one, or the"-I deepen my voice to imitate Ginger- "_Tell us your name before we beat the fudge outta you!_" Cat Lady puts a hand on her waist, raising a thin eyebrow coolly.

"Both."

"Oh, well the answer to the first one is _N__ot your_ and the answer to the second one is _business._" Carefully avoiding the disgusting blue goop clinging to the fridge shelves, I pull out a cold water bottle and unscrew the cap, flicking it on the counter.

"Your mom named you _Business?_ Ha!" Ginger barks out in laughter, smirking stupidly. All of us turn to look at him for a few seconds.

"You're…not very bright…are you?" I comment, voicing my observation as I take a swig of water. Ginger looks annoyed.

"Are you blind? I'm not a light bulb!"

I can't help it. I start laughing uncontrollably and water sprays out of my mouth, drenching Baldy, who squeals and wipes at it frantically with his hands. Cat Lady looks disgusted and ticked off at the same time. She holds up a hand threateningly, and a pink glow surrounds it. "Look, kid. Tell us your name and whether or not you're with the Titans, before things get ugly."

Oh. Pink glowing-ness. I'm shaking in my boots.

I open my mouth to send a sharp retort flying back at her, but pause, because my attention is attracted to something moving in the background. My eyes widen fractionally. _Is that Cyborg's freaking arm mounted on the wall?_ Anger starts to boil deep in my gut, but I hide it behind a calm disposition.

_Not now. Find out information before kicking their butts. _

I close my mouth and direct the three teens a mocking smirk, watching as Cyborg's arm scuttles, crab-like, off the mount and over to the computer. "Things got ugly the moment you three stepped in the Tower." I finish off the water bottle and toss it in the trashcan. "Besides, I don't even know _your_ names. I've been calling you Baldy, Ginger, and Cat Lady in my head for the past couple of minutes."

"_Cat Lady_?"

"_Ginger_?"

"_Baldy_?"

They all splutter in indignation, looking very ruffled. I shrug one shoulder and lean back against the counter. "Well, what am I supposed to call you?"

Cat Lady gathers herself and stands up straight, leaning forward slightly as if to intimidate me. The effect is slightly ruined, however, because the top of her head only reaches my nose. She stomps towards me, her angled, feline eyes glowing an electric pink.

"Look, kid," she snarls, poking me in my abs, about to go off on a lecture. Then she pauses and blushes, her hand hovering over my chest. "I…um…"

"…Yeah?" I prompt, nervously shying away a little. _Close contact, close contact, close contact…_

She shakes her head fiercely and the rosy tint in her pale cheeks fades. "My name's Jinx, and"-she hooks a thumb over her shoulder-"that's Mammoth and Gizmo." Her threatening growl is more subdued than before.

"All right, fair enough, I'm Danny." A trade for a trade, right? She looks at me, nonplussed.

"Danny? That's it? No superhero nickname or gimmick?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Who said I was a superhero?"

She relaxes slightly. That's when I strike. I thrust my fist towards her with startling speed, setting my knuckles aflame with ghostly fire. The blast sends her skidding and rolling across the floor until she slams into the far wall of the Ops room. I smirk and hold up my hand, bouncing a small emerald flame in my palm.

"I'm just a guy with powers and a will to use them."

"Ugh!" She pushes herself up using her hands, and rubbing her arm, where a piece of her sleeve was burned through. "I can't believe this!" She spits viciously, pink energy bolts crackling around her hands. "I actually thought you were kind of cool!"

"Hey! I am cool!" I huff in protest, pointing at my chest.

"You _are_ with the Titans," Gizmo accuses, firing up his backpack. Metallic spider legs come out of it, stabbing into the floor and lifting his tiny body off the ground. "You snot-munching freak!"

Instantly, my body tenses and my eyes dilate.

"_You abnormal **freak**!" The GiW agent roared savagely, cradling his bitten hand, and kicked me viciously in the ribs, sending me rolling across the floor and slamming into one of the walls of my containment cell. I coughed weakly, striving to stand, but my broken ribs flared to life with pain and I collapsed on the ground. Unable to move, I could only watch helplessly as the agent approached, pulling out a syringe filled with an ominous, glowing purple liquid._

"_This is going to hurt a lot, Freak…"_

"Agh!" I kneel on the ground, clutching my head. _Go away, go away, go away…_

Dimly, I feel five other presences launch themselves into the room, forming a barrier between the three teens and me.

"Titans, go!"

Chaos ensues. I can hear the sounds of battle raging all around me, but I can' move. My muscles have seized up. Terrible flashbacks-_hunger pain rage thirst torture blood yells screaming-_bombard my mind. For a second, I'm lost. I can feel the cold floor of my containment cell, the ectoranium shackles around my wrists, binding me to the ground and sapping my strength.

A hand touches my shoulder. "Danny?"

Beast Boy. He sounds young and scared. _Am I scaring him?_ Slowly, I pull myself together, raising my mental shields. The memories drift away like scattered smoke. Beast Boy helps me up, slinging one of my arms around his shoulder. I shake my head, grunting, "I'm fine," and pull away, stumbling a few steps until I gain my balance.

"Dude," he says, "you don't look so good."

"I'm fine, okay?" I snap, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "Let's just get these losers out of the Tower." He looks at me for a second, and instead of the usual playful kid, I see a teen who's been through tragedies, and smiles to hide the pain.

"You know," he says quietly, lowering his eyes a bit, "I think we've all been through some bad stuff. You're not alone."

I look away. "Thanks, BB." I force myself to grin excitedly, though my heart aches. "Now let's go kick some butt!"

I run forward, pushing all thoughts to the back of my mind, vaulting off the back of the couch and leaping high into the air. I whirl and throw out my leg as I come down, lighting my foot on ghostfire. My boot, secretly reinforced by my superstrength, connects with the side of Mammoth's face. The blow makes him slide back a few feet into the kitchen area, successfully rupturing his balance, and Robin charges forward and delivers two speedy yet powerful hits to his kneecaps with his Bo Staff. Mammoth's feet are jerked out from under him and he crashes to the floor.

I place a foot on his chest and smile cockily. "Hungry, big guy?" I grip the edge of the fridge and pull it over, leaping out of the way as it crashes down on top of him. I share a fist-pound with Robin before we return to the battle. The team wordlessly splits into two groups (three each for Gizmo and Jinx.)

"I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born!" Gizmo yells while flipping a switch on his backpack. Two metal wings and a rocket booster extend out of it and he lowers his goggles over his tiny eyes, smirking maliciously.

"Bring it, midget!" Cyborg challenges, and he, along with Starfire and Beast Boy, push him back into the hallway.

Meanwhile, Raven, Robin and I encircle Jinx, blocking off any means of escape. She scowls, crouching low to the floor. "We beat you once, and we can do it again!" She slashes the air twice with her arms and two waves of pink energy burst from her palms. I quickly counteract her attack with jets of ghostfire before the energy waves can hit us . The two opposing energy streams connect midway and are forced to a standstill, each side pushing against each other.

Jinx is sweating, her face twitching as she struggles to maintain the heavy outward flow of energy. I, on the other hand, could keep this up for minutes. The scientists at the facility hypothesized that if I trained regularly, my powers would never stop growing. So, they made me train almost nonstop. It sucked, but I've only grown more powerful as a result.

Growing bored with the showdown, I crouch and spin on one heel, snapping the other out and discharging a blast of ecto-energy from my foot. (Danielle, my girl clone, taught me that one. Yeah, don't ask.)

The pulsating ball of energy hits her in the gut and explodes, knocking her back into the wall. She sags to the floor limply, knocked out. Robin handcuffs her, hands behind the back, with special meta-human shackles, while Raven and I head into the hallway to help with Gizmo. The little booger is flying around, cackling, while shooting heat-seeking rockets from his wings. One targets me, but I throw out my hand and emanate waves of intense cold from my palm, lowering my body temperature and the air surrounding Raven and I. Unable to find a heat signature, it splits away, searching for the next warmest thing-which would be Gizmo.

"Waaah! No!" Gizmo turns his jetpack around and zooms away, the rocket following him all the while. Taking compassion on the little midget, Starfire expertly throws a starbolt at the miniature missile, causing it to detonate midair. With the imminent threat taken care of, Gizmo angles upward, aiming to fly through one of the glass windows. Beast Boy morphs into a Velociraptor and performs a fantastic leap into the air, his fanged jaws closing together with a snap on Gizmo's right wing. The serrated teeth easily rip the metal into shreds.

With only one wing working properly, Gizmo begins to fall, spinning, to the floor. Raven's eyes glow and a huge, dark raven lunges from her body with a bloodcurdling shriek, catching the terrified kid by his leftover wing in its sharp beak. The predator flies with great sweeping strokes of its black wings over to where an unconscious Mammoth and Jinx are cuffed and leaned against each other, and unceremoniously drops him next to them. The bird then banks and turns, diving back into Raven's body. The glow fades from her eyes.

We rejoin the group surrounding the three teens. Robin nudges Gizmo with his boot, but the kid only droops over, eyes closed and his face deathly pale.

"Dude," I say, crouching next to him to check his pulse, "I think he _fainted_." I look up, managing to keep a straight face for a second before collapsing into helpless laughter with Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Oh man," Cyborg chokes out, wiping a tear from his human eye, "what a baby!"

I glance over at Raven. "That was incredible! You're really powerful if you can separate your soul from your body like that and use it!"

She looks surprised. "You recognized that?" I nod, still grinning, and stand up. "Yeah, my p-_parents_ used to deal with supernatural stuff like that." I almost swallow my tongue, forcing myself to say the dreaded _p _word. She looks mildly curious. "Used to? What happened to them?"

The smile drops from my face. "They died," I say bitterly, turning away. It's true.

They're dead to me, anyway.

"Oh. Sorry."

I shrug, look up, and meet Beast Boy's eye. "Doesn't matter. I think…we've all been through some hard stuff."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

So, the overall damage to the Tower wasn't as bad as it could have been. One of them had organized Beast Boy' CD's, much to his horror, and it seemed that Mammoth had eaten half of the 'blue furry food' in the fridge. We ended up cleaning most of the Tower. I had it easier. I'd been sleeping on the couch lately while a room was prepared for me, so I didn't have anything of mine that was messed up or broken.

Raven comes down the stairs, holding two of her cloaks, one draped over each arm. "They went into my room," she growls through gritted teeth. "_No one_ should _ever_ go into my room."

Robin scoops up the TV remote from the coffee table and presses the 'on' button, browsing through the channels. I jump over the back of the couch and land on the seat cushion next to him.

"Gizmo-the little green midget-mentioned something about a guy named Slade. Should we be…I don't know…tracking him down and looking for clues?"

"We will," Robin replies with a small smile as the rest of the team joins us on the couch, "but for now, I'm just glad you're a part of the team."

"Really? Cool."

"Yeah, because you have dish duty for a month from skipping out on us earlier when we needed you," he continues, the smile growing wider on his face.

"Aw, man! Come on! _You're_ the one who cut off in the middle of the call!"

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

**Lol, I just realized I can't do endings for my life. Seriously. Ah, I'm cringing just reading that last sentence.**

**Oh, and I learned something while typing this chapter! I always thought it was spelled Jetski, but apparently, (according to google) it's "Jet Ski." Weird. **

**About the jet ski. I literally have NO IDEA how the heck the people who can't fly get off the Tower island when not using the T-Car (remember, in this AU [because it is an AU, fyi] they already have the T-Car. It just worked out that way.) I put the Jet Ski in the story so that Danny has a way to get off and on the Tower island without revealing his ability to fly. **

**ALSO! This is hard to keep track of, I know, but these are the powers that Danny revealed to the Titans last chapter: Enhanced senses, ghostfire, ice manipulation, and healing.**

**Sorry about the time between updates. Drop me a review!**

_**SHAMELESS ADVERTISING CORNER**_

**New story of mine out now- Twisted Hearts. Summary: A collection of one-shots pertaining to Robin and Slade. **

**So, all you apprentice fans out there, GO READ IT!**


	10. Chapter 10: Sisters

**A/N: (GASP!) What's this? An update before the new month? Preposterous!**

**Lol, shocking, I know. I can't thank you all enough for the incredible review responses! 56 reviews for last chapter? It's a new record! Thank you to everyone who put this story on their favorites list, or their alert list, or put this in a community. **

**I have a confession. I said I was going to be doing review responses, but the thing is…I kind of lost track of who I had already messaged. I didn't want to seem like an idiot and message people twice. I am SO sorry if I never got back to any of you! **

**(WARNING! This is going to be an absurdly long author's note… just skip it if it annoys you.) Special thanks to the following people for reviewing: Pass the peas and pies please, Guest, Fluehatraya, zoeshade, coldblue, juniperlei, Guest, Slytherin's Pimp, fanficfantasies, Akela Victoire, book phan44, lunalovehood0628, RaDiaNTFreezez, RaeSoul, GinjaNinja13, ChristinCC, ChopSuzi, Chrizzie1, dreamwritergoddess, Cloud9timeforEmu, HalfafanD, forever LuNa, InvaderL, phangirl4eva, somnialunae, LandofMidnightRain, Riqis Inna Sunja, unknown, Guest, kingofoutworld1, Turkeyhead987, The Dp Fangurl, nickorin fusionspark, Yoshi-Strange, KingdomArtemisHetalia, BlackLight999, cocoa85715, cvvphantom217, MoonlightBushido, vampirefrootloop, A-Bookwork-Named-Steph, The Glass Angel, FlowersofAsh, Lady GryphonInia, E galz, Loony Dagda, Dropwing, Animegal809, Lord Jace, EMILY1, mountainelements, Nemo, FewPhilosophers, Animegal809, Sharkdude5.**

**POLL UPDATE: So far, here are the votes.**

**Danny as Slade's apprentice- 8**

**Robin as Slade's apprentice-4**

**NOTES- Okay, all the people without accounts, listen up. I still read your reviews, I still see them, and I still take them into account. (grins) Don't worry about it. If you guys have questions that I feel need to be answered, then I'll answer them in the bolded section after each chapter.**

**ALSO, "dirk" and "dagger" will be interchangeable terms in this story. I know technically that they're different types of weapons, but I feel they're similar enough. **

**LASTLY, AND MOST IMPORTANT! Raesoul has drawn fanart for this story on deviantart. I am way too tired to write out the link right now, so just search "Danny Phantom Haunted Memories" on deviantart and it will come up -_-**

***PS: I may go into past tense a few times in this chapter. That is not a grammatical mistake, I am simply using it to show the passing of time. When Danny talks and refers to things around him in past tense, he is simply giving an overview of what happened over "the past few days" or something like that. :)**

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

Chapter 10: Sisters

I toss the ring carefully, letting it spin off my fingers. It soars through the air and arcs downwards gracefully, settling right on top of the neck of a glass bottle without even bouncing off a single other can. It's like the equivalent of getting a 'swish' in basketball. I close my eyes, smiling, and bow to Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven. "And that's how it's done."

"WOOHOO! Dude, that was awesome! How did you do that?" Beast Boy whoops, giving me a high-five. I push my hair out of my eyes and shrug, smiling warmly.

"All in the wrist." You get really good at throwing things when your main choice of attack is discharging bolts of energy from your hands.

"Let me try!" Beast Boy pushes me to the side and grabs one of the rings from the stack given to us to use during the game. He squeezes one eye shut and lines up the ring, his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth. While he aims for the closest bottle, I lean over and grab one of the stuffed animals hanging from the top of the vendor for my prize. There was a chicken, but I already had one at the Tower (remember him? I named him Clucky), so I choose a small crow plushy instead. It's black with a bluish sheen like shot silk, and it has two small obsidian eyes.

"Here," I say, tossing it to Raven, "I already got a prize. Thought you might like this."

She catches it and holds it up, looking at it. "Uh…thanks." Though she doesn't smile, I can see the warmth glowing slightly in her dark eyes. I turn back to the game and reach over, snagging one of the rings on my finger and spinning it around.

"So…are Robin and Starfire going out or something? 'Cause it sure seems like it," I comment, preparing to throw the thin metal ring.

Cyborg and Beast Boy share a look, then burst out laughing. "What?" I snap, irritated that I don't know. Seriously, I've only been with them for a week and a half.

Cyborg wipes a tear of mirth from his human eye, flicking it off his finger. "Dude, you don't even know the half of it."

"Awkward hugs…" Beast Boy says, counting on his fingers, "Blushes…always talking on the roof of the Tower…freaking out when the other gets hurt…"

"It is kind of obvious. Their emotions are as bright as day," Raven adds, telekinetically lifting the ring off my finger. With a snap of her fingers, it goes flying through the air and lands perfectly on one of the bottles.

We all gape at her in shock. Cyborg even drops the bottle of Coke in his hand. She arches an eyebrow. "What?" Turning to look at the person manning the station, she states, "I believe I won the game and deserve a prize."

"You can't do that, it's cheating!" The peppy-looking girl protests, looking at Raven as if she should be ashamed. Raven narrows her eyes and the girl giggles nervously, taking a step back.

Cyborg shakes his head, baffled. "Did you just…contribute to the conversation?"

Raven looks at him, raising an eyebrow and pointing at her face. "I have a mouth, okay? I can talk _sometimes_." She lifts an arm and summons a white stuffed owl with deep green eyes, depositing it in my arms. "Here. I've already got a prize," she shakes the crow I'd just given her a little bit to emphasize her point, "so you can have that."

I laugh a little bit. "Oh, I see what you did there." I slip the small stuffed animal in my hoodie pocket, twisting it so that its head peeks out.

"What do you think?" I ask, looking at Cyborg and Beast Boy, motioning to the plushy staring out of my baggy pocket with wide, glassy eyes. "Creepy much?" Cyborg nods in affirmation. Beast Boy quickly grabs it and spins it around so that he can't see its face. "Definitely creepy, dude."

As a group, we leave the ring toss game and start moving along the boardwalk, discussing where to go next. Well, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I discussed. Raven just kind of hovered silently in the background.

My enhanced senses suddenly pick up annoyed grunts and exclamations of surprise coming from the throng of moving people on the boardwalk. I glance up and watch Robin pushing and shoving through the crowd, struggling to get toward us.

"Titans! Trouble!"

_Isn't there always? _I grumble to myself. I mean, really, we can't even enjoy some time off at the amusement park. "Where's Starfire?" I ask aloud, noting the absence of the peppy red-haired alien. Robin spins on his heel and starts running, calling over his shoulder in a grim tone, "That's the trouble. Come on!" He beckons for us to follow and sprints off. Raven lifts the crow plushy and glances at it, then surrounds it in black magic, preparing to teleport it.

"Oh, wait, don't forget mine!" I stuff the owl in her hands and she sends me an annoyed look before transporting both of the toys to the Tower in a swirl of dark energy.

"All right, let's go."

We run at full speed after Robin, leaving the amusement park grounds and entering a stretch of dark, uninhabited boardwalk. It's when we're veering left onto a dock that extends out into the bay that I see it. I slow down to a stop next to the others, squinting. "What the heck…" I narrow my eyes even further. My irises glow slightly from the use of my powers as my sight clears and sharpens. My night vision improves drastically and I can easily make out the form of Starfire flying desperately away from a pursuing…pink…squid…thingy.

Again. What the heck?

Starfire twists slightly to look at us and makes a face of relief, changing her velocity in a split second and hurtling towards the dock. I shift out of the way to allow her room as she zooms past, the squid-thingy not far behind.

Beast Boy grins. "Who's her new best friend?"

"Don't know," Robin says, punching a fist into his palm, "but I can't wait to meet him."

I roll my eyes, the gesture safely concealed in the darkness of my black hood. _Overprotective, much?_

Starfire puts on an extra burst of speed and circles around the top of the lit up Ferris Wheel, slowing to a flawless halt behind us. The flying squid races towards us relentlessly, stubbornly intent on reaching her.

Beast Boy takes the initiative and sprints forward to build up momentum, then jumps into the air. He transforms into a huge alligator with massive jaws and a squat, hefty body as he leaps. His jaws snap shut with an audible click, attempting to crush the squid between them, but it squeezes through just in time, surprising Beast Boy with its speed.

Raven spots and possesses an empty hot dog cart, hurling it at the alien machine forcefully. The squid simply plows through it. My eyes widen in shock. The thing's shiny armor isn't even scratched!

It angles closer to the boardwalk and flies past Cyborg and Raven, heading straight for Starfire. Thinking quickly, Cyborg's arm flashes out and he grabs the end of its thick stubby tentacles, digging his heels in the wooden planks underneath him, and letting out grunts of exertion as he tries to restrain the squid. He leans back, hoping to use his weight as a sort of leverage against the squid machine.

"Don't know what you did to make this thing mad, Star," Cyborg grunts, struggling to hold on, "but it wouldn't hurt to apologize!"

From her position behind Robin, she worriedly lifts a hand to her face, covering her mouth. "I am…sorry?"

At the sound of her voice, the thing writhes and bucks, throwing off Cyborg's grip with relative ease. One of the tentacles backhands him across his face and jerks him right off the boardwalk, into the bay's dark waters with a huge splash. He does not re-surface.

"I got ya!" I call out, running to the edge of the boardwalk and diving in with perfect form, hands clasped above my head to splice through the surface. The water is shockingly cold and slaps me in the face like a frozen brick, but it doesn't affect me as much as it might stun others, thanks to my ice core. My eyes are wide open, but the murky gloom prevents me from seeing anything except a murky, dark void. I close and open them again. This time, they're glowing bright green, and my vision works well enough to see Cyborg sinking a couple yards below me. His heavy metal body parts drag him right down, and I can see his terrified human eye rolling in its socket, striving to see the surface. I kick my feet forcefully, swimming with relative ease, calling upon my ability to fly to propel myself faster through the water.

Grasping his arm, his brown eye flicks over to me and squints. His robotic one shines a little bit, and a look of surprise crosses his face. Aware that he can see me now, I give him a reassuring smile and gesture to the surface with my head. He nods in understanding and kicks his feet as hard as possible. Though it doesn't help much, it makes it slightly easier to carry him, and I pull him towards the surface. His metal components act like an anchor and make it incredibly hard and frustrating to lift him with normal human strength.

As a half-ghost, it's easier for me to hold my breath underwater for long periods of time. In full-out ghost mode, I don't even need to breathe. I do it out of habit, usually. Makes me feel more…human, I guess. Not freakish.

Even so, I'm starting to feel the pressure in my chest. Cyborg looks fine, but then again…he is more than half-robotic. Does he even have lungs?

I tap into my ghost core a little bit, just enough to gather the amount of superstrength that I need to tug him the short distance to the ocean's surface. My head breaks the water the moment my lungs are starting to demand oxygen, and I take a few deep, satisfying breaths. I wrap my arm around the wooden pole supporting the dock and pull Cyborg to it, moving over slightly to give him room.

"Here, climb up using this." I jerk my head towards it and he grins widely, digging his fingers into the soft wood and grabbing the edge of the planks, preparing to haul himself up. He pauses as a thought seems to occur to him and looks at me strangely, not moving.

"Were your eyes…_glowing_ back there?"

I wince at the sound of something splashing into the water near us, hoping that it's not the squid. The water severely restricts my speed and movement. I'd be fish food if it attacked while I was at a disadvantage like this.

"Yeah, part of the accident that gave me my powers. Now, climb!"

He throws me a saddened, understanding look, causing me to become slightly irritated. I don't need his pity. What I need is for him to get his metal butt on the dock so I can get out of the cold water!

"All right then…thanks man, I owe you one!" He calls as he pulls his body out of the water and disappears over the edge of the boardwalk. _No kidding, _I grumble, thinking sadly of my beloved black boots, probably ruined from the seawater. Heavy footfalls on the wooden boards signify that Cyborg is running towards the Titans, intent on rejoining his friends.

I sling my arms around the pole, intending to shimmy up it until I can reach the dock's edge, when Beast Boy's head suddenly peeks over the railing a couple yards to my right. "So…did we just win?"

"No, Beast Boy, don't say that!" I yell in exasperation. _Every time_ someone says that, something bad happens! He looks at me in surprise, obviously not expecting to see a sodden and irritated human being clinging to one of the dock's support beams.

"Danny?"

"Who else?" I grit out between clenched teeth, lifting myself halfway onto the boardwalk, my legs dangling in the water.

"Danny, look out!" Robin yells, running over to join Beast Boy as he points into the inky black water. I turn my head and catch a glimpse of something speeding towards me just under the bay's surface, causing the water to ripple ominously.

"Butter biscuits!" I manage to scream angrily before the squid's rubbery tentacles wrap around my ankles and forcefully yank me back into the ocean. I have no time to take a breath as the sea crashes over my head, submerging my body completely. The squid machine pulls me deeper and deeper at a startling rate, swimming fluidly with graceful ease. My ears pop and terrible pressure begins to build up in my head. I am startled into inaction by the sheer, utter _silence _surrounding me. The only thing I can hear is my pounding heartbeat echoing in my ears.

I put my hands together and blast it with an ectoray, but it only glances off the pink armor, not slowing it down in the least. _I'm going to be drowned, _I realize with disbelief, _by a __**pink **__squid. _

_Oh, heck no._

I concentrate on slipping into intangibility, planning on sliding out of its grasp and getting back to the surface, but before I can, an emerald-skinned Great White shark zooms out of the murk towards the squid and I, its frightening, teeth-lined jaws opening wide as it sweeps its tail from side to side in agitation. _Beast Boy!_

The jaws clamp down on one of the thick tentacles wound around my ankle, severing the flexible appendage completely. The squid spasms and spins around unexpectedly, its remaining tentacles snapping angrily and tugging my body behind it, giving me a bad case of whiplash.

The machine lashes out, landing a strong blow on the shark's gills. The hit knocks Beast Boy out of his transformation and back to his human state, and I watch in panic as his limp body spins once from the force of the attack and slowly begins to sink. Air bubbles trail out of the corner of his mouth, wobbling back to the surface.

_Why is everybody drowning today?_

That's it. I'm not putting up with any more crap from this thing. I send it an intimidating glare with glowing eyes narrowed to slits, and reach into myself, grabbing a hold of my ghostly persona and jerking it violently to the surface. The blinding white rings nearly explode into existence, so great is my fury. The halo separates into two circles that move up and down my body.

In a matter of seconds, Danny is gone, and Wraith has taken over.

The intensifying ache in my lungs and head disappears instantly. Finally able to concentrate on something other than getting to an air supply, I phase out of the squid's grip and form a duplicate before doing anything else. A moment of dizziness and double vision passes over my eyes before another 'me' floats upright in the water, its pure white hood cast over its face and the smoky cloak rippling sluggishly. I give it telepathic instructions to carry Beast Boy to safety. The copy gives me a two-fingered salute and a reassuring grin before spinning around and soaring away through the water. The squid, obviously mistaking my duplicate as another target, spins its tentacles to move its body through the water, giving chase to the doppelganger.

_Oh no you don't. _

I eject a thick, especially sticky rope of glowing ectoplasm from my palm and attach it to one of the squid's tentacles. The squid strains at its leash, and I fire another strand of ectoplasm from my free hand, using my superstrength to hold it back. My hands suddenly light up with fizzing green energy that surges down the two strands, electrifying the squid. It snaps its tentacles, breaking the two ropes, and floats limply for a second in the water, probably stunned.

I take the short rest to look around, watching as my duplicate carries Beast Boy upwards to the dock, flickering into invisibility before reaching the bay's surface. A pink tentacle suddenly whips by my head, narrowly missing my face, and I jerk backwards in surprise, turning my attention back to the squid. It seems to have recovered from its temporary state of surprise and lunges towards me. I tug my dagger out of its sheath, feeling reassured by the glowing blade, and slash downwards with it, slicing through the tips of the tentacles like a hot knife through butter, reducing the appendages to sparking stubs. The squid reels back, then, in a flash of movement, rams me in the chest. One of my ribs splinters and I wince slightly, drifting backward out of the squid's reach to give the injury time to heal. I slip my dirk back in its thin black sheath and make sure it is secured.

A few seconds later, when I have sufficiently recovered, I curl into a ball and kick out, blasting forward and swinging my legs in front of me. The double kick knocks the creature back a few feet and I, without wasting any time, envelop my hands in a shimmering blue aura. I swim forward to the stunned machine and rest my palms on it, amplifying the cold from my core into the squid. It stiffens for a split second, its tentacles extending to their full length in shock, then starts freaking out. It swims up and down and left to right, spazzing all the way, and I grit my teeth, hanging on like a pit bull.

_Don't like the cold, huh?_

I intensify the flow of energy. The squid shudders violently a few times as the complex circuitry under its shell freezes, the armor becoming brittle. A second later, a thin sheet of ice, thickening as it forms, spreads over its body, creeping over its tentacles and locking them into permanent stillness. A blinking light near the top of the…head-thing… stutters once, then winks out. The squid goes completely limp.

I lift my hands off it and float a few yards away, still slightly wary. Nothing happens, and the squid- now completely encased in a gigantic ice cube- begins to float upwards, carried by the frozen water clinging to its exo-shell.

I swim underneath it and place my hands on the bottom of the lumpy ice formation, flying upwards and pushing the de-activated squid along with me, giving it an extra boost. My cloak fans out behind me in the water, and my hood threatens to fall down multiple times, but I stubbornly keep going.

When the surface is only twelve feet away, I pause long enough to switch back into regular old Danny. Don't want the Titans seeing me as Wraith, now, do I?

The second the transformation completes, my lungs scream out desperately for air and my eyes bulge in panic. It literally feels like my lungs are collapsing inside my chest. I can't help it. I instinctively open my mouth and swallow multiple mouthfuls of seawater. Luckily, my body goes on auto-pilot and swims the rest of the way up while I have a mini freak out in my mind. My head breaks the surface a second later. Something hard and thin- Robin's staff, I realize- prods my arm and I latch onto it instantly, coughing and spluttering as he pulls me swiftly to the dock. Cyborg lifts me out of the water and gently sets me down on my back on the wooden planks.

"Yo man! You okay?"

I roll over and retch, throwing up the contents of my stomach (along with half the bay, it seems), digging my nails into the aging wood as my stomach seizes up. I can't get the disgusting taste of ocean water out of my mouth and I hold up a hand, signifying for the other Titans to wait a second as I puke again. They edge away silently, discreetly leaving the splatter zone.

When it's over and there's nothing left to hurl, I wipe the trail of vomit from my chin with my hand, wrinkling my brow in utter revulsion. "Ugh. I am not going in that ocean for a _loooooong_ time."

I stand up with some help from Robin, seeing as my knees are still weak from my near drowning. I tap his arm. "Where's Beast Boy?"

Hopefully, my duplicate did its job and brought the changeling to safety without being seen…Robin casts a slightly mystified look at Beast Boy's limp form resting a few meters away. I look closer with anxiety, relaxing the slightest bit when I see his chest gently rising and falling.

"He's fine, just knocked out. We don't know how he even got there…one second, he dove in the water after you, and the next…well, there he was, passed out on the planks a few feet from us. Raven checked him over and pumped his stomach to make him reflexively throw up the water he swallowed. She says he'll be fine."

"Weird…maybe the squid threw him up here by accident while you guys weren't looking?"

Robin seems doubtful. "Maybe…Raven, can you lift the squid out of the water and onto the deck?"

Raven nods and wordlessly extends a hand. Her eyes pour white light and her hands flare with dark energy. A tendril of magic whips out from her palms, attaching to the frozen squid, which is bobbing gently next to the dock. The magic slithers over the whole ice block and lifts its dripping entirety out of the ocean. Raven makes a sweeping gesture and levitates it over the boardwalk, setting it down with a quiet _thump_.

"Danny, can you get rid of the ice? It _is_ de-activated, right?"

I nod in confirmation. "Yup. It doesn't like the cold." I go over to it and hold out my palms, summoning the energy that makes up the ice. It gives off an ethereal glow and liquefies, flowing through the air to my outstretched hands, absorbing itself into my skin. A flood of refreshing energy rushes through my body and I smile, sighing in content.

Robin kneels by the newly-thawed squid, his fingers skimming over its metallic surface as he searches for a control panel.

"Can't find an off or on switch," he observes, and he pushes himself back up, absently fixing his super-gelled hair. "Raven, can you teleport us- and this thing- back to the tower? Cyborg and I will take a look at it later."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

Back at the Tower, Starfire's worried mood seems to have disappeared. She smiles at me brightly as she opens the door to the Main Ops room, throwing out her arms and twirling. Her eyes close blissfully as she waltzes down the steps.

"Come friends, I shall thank you for my rescue by reciting the poem of gratitude- all six thousand verses!"

While the other Titans look at her, stunned, I notice a girl, dressed very similarly to Starfire, leaning against the back of our couch. I tense, crouching and getting ready to call energy to my hands, when…

"I see you haven't changed a bit." Her voice is oily smooth, laced with a devilish cunning. She pushes off the sofa and props one delicate hand on her waist, using the other to gesture. "When we were little, I was always rescuing Starfire."

_How did she know we rescued Starfire? Did she just…watch, and not do anything?_

Starfire squeals girlishly and rushes forward, wrapping her arms lovingly around the girl. "Sister!"

They break apart and the black-haired girl, smiling sweetly, holds up a necklace, weighed down by a very large hexagonal emerald.

"Brought you a present."

Starfire gasps as the gem glitters in the light. "A Centauri moon diamond? Where did you get-"

"On the Centauri moons, of course." The black-haired girl smirks and leans forward, draping the necklace around Starfire's neck. "Oh look, it matches your eyes!" She grins again.

Starfire trails her fingertips across the diamond and gives the girl another hug. "Come, you must meet my friends!"

_Oh boy…_I think to myself, nervously stepping back. I _really _don't want anyone else knowing I'm here. Starfire grabs her sister by the arm and pulls her up to us. "I wish to introduce my big sister…"

"Blackfire." The girl interjects calmly, stepping around her sister and closer to us. "And since Star told me all about the Titans in her transmissions, let me guess…"

"Cyborg." She points at him, smiling coyly.

Cyborg, as cordial as ever, holds out his hand. "Pleased to meet ya, little lady." A small smirk hovers on her face as she take his hand and shakes it, effortlessly denting his fingers. Cyborg winces and pulls his hand away, twisting a grimace into a smile. "Little lady, big handshake. Well, alright…"

Blackfire moves on. "Raven. I like that gemstone on your ajma chakra." Raven looks pleasantly surprised.

"You…know about chakras?"

Blackfire waves a hand dismissingly. "I got _way_ into meditation on Altara Prime."

She takes a step to the right, her calm demeanor changing into something more energetic and lively the instant she looks at the green changeling. "Beast Boy, what's up?" She sings out, grinning. Beast Boy falls for her charm instantly.

"Nothing but the ceiling, baby."

I roll my eyes. _He should write a book on how to drive away girls with cheesy jokes._

To my surprise, she giggles girlishly behind her slender hand. "Good one!" Beast Boy puffs out his chest and leans over to talk to Raven.

"See? She thinks I'm funny."

Without missing beat, Raven replies, "Statistically, I suppose _someone_ has to."

Beast Boy glares at her. I expertly turn a laugh into a cough.

Blackfire introduces herself to Robin, and I begin to edge away, going for the stairs…

"And who might you be?"

I wince. Shoot, too late…

She saunters up to me, sashaying her hips.

I scramble for an answer, smacking the door blindly behind me as I search for the button. "I…uh…I'm the guy who's leaving this room. Hehe."

"Oh, don't be shy!" She kicks off softly into the air, floating up a few inches so that she's looking down on me. She rests a hand on my shoulder. "I _just_ want to know your name. Star never told me about _you_."

_Thank God. Star, I owe you one. _

"It's-uh-Danny."

She tips her head, pursing her lips. "That's it? No superhero name?"

I throw up my hands in frustration. "Okay, _why_ does everyone keep saying that?"

"Well…" she lowers back to the ground, leaning in uncomfortably close, her dark purple eyes half-lidded as she smiles foxily. "Since Star didn't tell me anything about you…I'd like to get to know you better…"

I ease away from her, finally slamming the button and opening the door. "Maybe next time."

I turn and dash into the hallway, listening as she returns back to the sofa and starts an exciting tale about her travels.

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

I spent the next two days pretty much trying to avoid Blackfire at all costs and failing miserably. When we trained, she always volunteered to be my partner, when we gathered in the Main Ops, she inevitably sat next to me on the couch.

The worst thing was sharing the sofa with her.

My room was still in progress. The team refused to let me see it until it was absolutely finished, so I had no idea how much was even completed.

I got one end of the couch and she got the other, and we each had our own blankets and pillows. She would watch me, always smiling enticingly, while I curled in a ball and tried to ignore her as much as possible.

That night, it took me a while to fall asleep, even though I was absolutely exhausted from staying up late playing Xbox with Cy and BB. I finally slipped into slumber sometime around one in the morning.

I wake up very slowly. My pillow just feels so good and fluffy and perfectly conformed to my head shape, and the blanket draped around my frame is pulled nice and snug, and something warm is pressed against my chest. I let out a small mumble and shift my head a little, sleepily draping my arm over the soft object and unintentionally pulling it closer. Meaningless dreams flicker behind my closed eyelids, and somehow, I envision myself holding a comfy throw pillow. My nose is buried in something silky that smelled like Starfire's citrus shampoo.

Something flashes brightly and a round of giggles broke out. My eyes snap open and I peer blearily up at Beast Boy, who is holding a bulky camera, the kind that ejects the pictures on square pieces of thick, glossy photo paper. Cyborg stands right behind him, silently laughing. He winks. "Well aren't you two cozy?"

I yawn, rubbing away the eye crusties with one hand, and prop myself up on one elbow. His words filter in slowly, one at a time. I push my fingers through my hair, brushing the strands out of my eyes.

"Beast Boy, what are you doing?" I grumble, resolving to beat the tar out of him if it's before eight in the morning.

"Getting blackmail."

"I- what?"

I glance down, blinking, and nearly scream as Blackfire stretches luxuriously in my arms, smiling, her angular eyes lightly closed. Her hand sneaks up to my shoulder and roughly pulls me back down to the couch. She snuggles against my body. I blush deeply.

"Who woke us up?" She murmurs sleepily, tangling her hand in my hair. I try to push her away, but she tightens her grip on my bangs painfully, so I stop. Cyborg and Beast Boy fall apart in another round of giggles. She opens one purple eye and smiles at them serenely, flinging out a hand. Pinkish-purple light, condensed in a beam, jets from her palm and throws them back a couple of meters.

"Go away and leave _us_ alone."

My face is still beet-red, and I open my mouth to protest her order. Nothing comes out but a high-pitched squeak. My blush deepens. She giggles and nestles her head in the crook of my neck. "You're cute when you blush."

The door to the Ops Room opens, and the soft, light patter of footsteps signify Raven's entrance. The rhythm of footfalls pauses, then breaks out into a run as she dashes to Beast Boy and Cyborg's aid, looking at their dazed expressions in confusion, her back facing me and Blackfire.

Blackfire lazily waves a hand. "Morning, Rae."

Raven spins, her blue cloak sweeping along the ground. I think that I must look like a fish, constantly opening and closing my mouth, my eyes bulging out of their sockets in an almost comical manner. Raven's eyes widen as she sees Blackfire and I tangled together on the couch. Black energy lashes out from her body, circling around my waist and dragging me right off the sofa, hoisting me into the air.

"Whoa! Raven, put me down!" I yell, throwing out my arms and legs as the magic slams me to the ceiling and pins me there. Her normally pale face goes scarlet, and she loses her composure for once, slapping her hands across her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just-" she babbles in a stream of panicked words. She halts for a moment to collect her emotions and draws herself up, glaring at me in cold disbelief. _"What were you doing with her?"_

I gape, too stunned to reply. _Is she really implying that I-_

Blackfire rolls over, sitting up and flipping her long black hair over her shoulder. My gut squirms in embarrassment as I vividly recall the perfumed scent of her midnight-colored locks. "Relax. We were just cuddling," she says innocently, combing her hair with her fingers.

I finally find my voice. "We were _not_! You crept up on me while I was sleeping!" My voice rises in pitch until it's almost an indignant shriek at the end.

Blackfire tips her head back to look at me and gives me a flirtatious wink. "Oh, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it. Your body was really cold, and I thought I just might warm you up." A dreamy look passes over her lavender eyes. "You have some nice abs."

The poor blender in the kitchen suddenly turns black and shatters loudly. Fragments of plastic bounce and roll across the floor. Cyborg, who is just getting to his feet, moans and runs over to the broken appliance, scooping up some of the pieces in his massive hands. "Not the blender!"

Raven hurriedly tugs her hood over her head and fast-walks toward the room's exit.

"Uh, Raven? You can put me down now! …Raven? RAVEN!" She ignores me and pulls a blue mug from the cabinet, slipping around Cyborg's hulking body. She pours herself a steaming cup of herbal tea and strides out of the room quickly. Her hand is shaking slightly. A few drops of tea splash the ground.

"RAVEN! Aw, come on!" The door slams shut behind her, propelled by black magic, and I thunk my head against the ceiling in frustration. Below me, Beast Boy groans and finally sits up, rubbing his head.

"What's her deal?"

I blow my bangs out of my eyes, sighing in frustration. "I don't know. Will someone please get me down from here?"

"Danny?" He looks around the room wildly. I groan.

"Up here, stupid!" He cranes his neck and looks at my position, spread-eagled against the ceiling, black energy crackling and snapping all over my body. He manages to keep a straight face for a few seconds, then breaks down into helpless laughter.

"DUDE! Hahahahahahahahaha, she got you good!" He holds up the camera, preparing to take a picture. I can see my reflection in the lens. I gather saliva in my mouth and spit. The glob lands on his forehead and he squeals, dropping the camera and running to the kitchen to grab a towel and wipe it off. I smirk.

Blackfire stretches her arms one last time and hovers into the air, rising towards me. "Don't worry, _Danny_," I flinch as she draws out my name heatedly, "I got you."

Her hands spark and fizzle, beginning to glow with radiant purple light as she reaches towards me.

Without warning, the black energy sticking me to the ceiling vanishes, and I let out a surprised grunt as I fall right past her. I land on the couch cushions and bounce off, hitting the floor hard. My instincts kick in and I roll to soften the impact, springing lithely to my feet. I look up and glimpse Raven peering around the room's door-frame, her eyes wide. Our eyes meet for a second. She looks down, spins on her heel, and sprints off. The mechanized door slides shut behind her.

I look at Beast Boy washing his forehead with a wet dishtowel, Cyborg crying over the smashed blender, and Blackfire floating over my head, her hands still shining. I sigh and rub my temples, stumbling towards the kitchenette.

"I need coffee."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

"_Azarath_…_Metrion_…_Zinthoooos_…." Raven murmured softly, her face calm and emotionless. Her heartbeat pounded slowly in her chest, and her breaths were long and steady. A breeze played with her hair and lightly tousled her cloak. Way down below, she listened to the crescendo of the waves breaking on the shore. She breathed in the salty air with an appreciative sigh, resting her hands in her lap. Finally. Some peace. Her surroundings exuded calmness, something she desperately needed after the hectic day. She winced slightly at the memory of finding Blackfire and Danny entangled on the couch. Blackfire looked right at home in Danny's arms. Raven couldn't believe she'd lost control of her powers like that. Poor Danny. She hoped she hadn't hurt him too bad. And Cyborg was still ignoring her over that stupid blender…

She let out a pent up breath and resumed her chant, trying to shove the embarrassing memories to the back of her mind. "_Azarath…Metrion…Zinthoooos…"_

A seagull swooped overhead and squawked. Raven thought it faintly reminisced the strangled noise Danny had made when Blackfire claimed they had been "cuddling."

_Ugh. I thought she was kind of cool. Now she just seems like…like a slut, or something._

She instantly felt bad, thinking that way about sweet, good-natured Starfire's sister. But Blackfire was nothing like her sister. Raven sensed bitter jealously coalescing around the dark-haired Tamaranean's spirit, infusing itself with her aura. Blackfire hadn't displayed any overly evil behavior though, so Raven wasn't too concerned. Everyone was jealous of something or someone.

The door to the roof swung open and she cracked open an eye. _Speak of the Devil._ Blackfire flew over to where she sat, looking calm and collected.

"Hey Raven, sorry if I'm interrupting, but I heard there was this awesome Gothic cafe on the outskirts of town. I was just wondering if you wanted to go, since it's open mike poetry night."

Earlier, Raven would have agreed. Now, she felt strangely annoyed by the Tamaranean's offer.

"No thanks, I'm good. I'd rather just meditate." She spoke calmly, not betraying her dissatisfaction. Raven sensed a flash of frustration from Blackfire and turned slightly, arching an eyebrow. Blackfire smiled sweetly, hands clasped behind her back.

"Okay, then. Can I meditate with you?"

"…No." Raven stated bluntly. She had never been one to hold her tongue. If she thought you needed to hear what she had to say, she would say it without remorse.

"Aw, come on, Rae! We meditated together yesterday!"

Raven clenched her hands into fists, gritting her teeth, losing her calm exterior. "That was yesterday. I want to be alone today. So please _leave_."

Blackfire pouted. "Fine." She huffed, crossed her arms, and soared back to the roof's entrance, slamming the door behind her. Raven breathed a sigh in relief, slumping over for a second, then fixed her sloppy posture and began her mantra anew.

"Beautiful sunset, huh?"

Raven was badly startled out of her trance. She dropped to the roof like a rock, gasping for air to calm her palpitating heartbeat. Danny sat down next to her with a weary groan, shaking his head.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked crossly, fixing the strands of hair that had fallen in her eyes. Danny made a face and jerked a thumb towards the exit.

"Avoiding Blackfire. Or trying to, anyway. She's been following me everywhere. She tried to make me leave you alone. She said you were PMSing."

Raven spluttered indignantly, her face heating up. Danny laughed and held up his hands in a peace gesture. "I'm joking, I'm joking!"

A vein throbbed in Raven's forehead. Danny edged away nervously and coughed in his hand, looking sheepish. "Um…anyway…about this morning…"

Raven looked away, berating herself mentally. What was it about Danny that made her so awkward?

"Oh…uh…yeah. I'm sorry, about, you know, uh, sticking you to the ceiling."

Danny shrugged good-naturedly. "S'okay." He grinned suddenly. "BB tried to take a picture of it, so I spat on his face." Raven smiled lightly, drawing her cloak closer to her body as a particularly chilly breeze wound its way around her.

"And anyway, it's not like I got hurt or anything." He flopped on his back and stared up at the sky, crossing his arms under his head. Raven hesitantly copied his posture, unused to such an informal position. It just wasn't her.

"Sorry about it, though." He added, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. Raven looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Why are you apologizing?"

He looked surprised at himself. He chewed on his bottom lip as he mused. "I don't know. I just…you looked…I don't know, mad about it."

Raven felt herself getting defensive. "Why do you think I'd be mad? Like I care what you and Blackfire do," she said with an edge of steel to her voice.

He rolled over on his side, looking at her. "Okay. Geez, I get it. Just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt or something."

Raven closed her eyes. "I am perfectly fine, thank you."

"Um…all right, then."

He stood up and stretched, yawning, his white teeth flashing in the dying sunlight. "I'm going to head inside. You wanna come?"

She turned, staring at the sky contemplatively. The gorgeous hues of dayglow orange, russet red, lemon yellow, and sapphire blue melted together, framing the falling sun. Feathery wisps of scattered clouds drifted high up in the atmosphere, their bottoms turned a rosy pink as they reflected the beautiful colors. Raven hid a smile at the tranquil setting and rested her chin on her knees, looping her arms around her folded legs. "I think I'll stay out here for a bit."

"Kay. See you later." He headed for the door. Raven wondered how he could walk so quietly. She couldn't even hear his footsteps. The door clicked shut behind him, and Raven was alone again.

Just the way she liked it.

…Right?

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

The sun had set a while ago, and the city was bathed in quiet darkness. It's a full moon tonight, so the bay reflects the rippling silver light as clearly as if someone has sprinkled the dark blue waters with shimmer dust. Thousands of stars dot the summer night sky.

I lounge on the couch with my feet propped up on the coffee table, talking about stupid, random things with Robin, Cy, and BB. Raven is sitting next to me, deeply engrossed in an aged, leather-bound book. Blackfire announced minutes ago that she was going to go change, and I hadn't seen Starfire almost the whole day.

I lean over, tapping the corner of the page Raven is currently on. "What are you reading?" She quirks an eyebrow, flipping the page.

"A book."

"Oh haha, very funny." I sit back, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes. She smirks slightly.

"Friends! I wish to invite you all to join me in the togetherness of stay-home movie night!" Starfire approaches the couch, smiling from ear to ear, holding a stack of movie cases, popcorn bowls, and candy bars. "I bring you popcorn and non-cotton candies. Tell me, what sort of movie shall we view?"

"Action!"

"Comedy!"

"Sci-fi?"

"Horror."

They turn to look at me, waiting for a suggestion. I shrug, rubbing the back of my neck embarrassedly. "Uh…romance?" Beast Boy and Cyborg start cracking up, and I raise my hands defensively. "Oh, shut up!" I snap. "You guys took all the good choices!"

Looking more than a little frazzled, the piles of goodies slip from Starfire's fingers and crash to the floor, scattering over the carpet. "Perhaps…a double feature?"

"Forget the flicks, kids, we're going out!"

I groan and bury my head in my hands. Raven gives me a sympathetic pat on the back, not even looking in my general direction, and returns to her book.

"We are?" Starfire questions in surprise as Blackfire passes her. "Where did you? Are those my…?"

Blackfire smirks and twirls, showing off Starfire's outfit. "Heard about a party downtown. Cool crowd, hot music."

"Yeah!"

"I'm in."

"Why not?"

I sigh and look away, shaking my head. Can't the others even see how they're treating Starfire? _At least Raven has the sense to decline,_ I think, casting the silent empathic girl a quick look. Blackfire gives her a wink and trills suggestively, "And it's in a creepy rundown warehouse…" Raven glances up from her book, her attention snared.

_Okay. Never mind then._

"You know what? I'd rather stay here and watch a movie," I say, giving Starfire a supportive smile. She returns it weakly and I realize just how much she has been ignored the past few days. It makes me remember when I was little- how Jazz got all the awards and attention and nobody even knew my name. I'm glad we managed to work it out later when we matured a little bit. It looks like Blackfire and Starfire haven't made it to that point yet.

"Aw, come on Danny! It'll be fun!" Beast Boy tugs on my arm, pulling me towards the exit. I shake his hand off and head back to the couch.

"I'm serious, you guys go have fun. I'll be right here waiting with Star."

Robin shrugs. "If you're sure, then…"

One by one, they all leave. Raven hesitates as she walks by, and picks up her book from the coffee table, dumping it in my lap. "Here," she says, "if the movie gets boring."

I flip it over, looking at the cover and the author's name. "Edgar Allen Poe?" I give her a quick smile, not bothering to tell her that I never really liked poetry. "Thanks."

She pulls her hood up and leaves silently, shutting the door behind her. Starfire gives me a worried look and quietly sits next to me on the sofa.

"Frie- Um, Danny, you need not miss out on the fun for my feeling's sake."

I throw my arms over the back of the sofa, smiling charmingly. "No, Starfire, listen. I know it seems like you've been a little…ah…kicked aside, lately." I wince inwardly. _Way to be gentle, idiot._

She looks confused. "But…no one has struck me with their feet."

I drag my hand down my face, sighing. "It's a saying, Star. Anyway, all you need to know is that: one, you were on this team first. You're not replaceable. Two, I personally like you a lot more than Blackfire, all offense meant to your sister. Sorry. She just rubs me the wrong way."

"She rubs you?" She looks scandalized, and her face goes red. "I did not realize that…"

"What? No! _Nonononononono! _Starfire, it's an expression! It means that something about a person just…throws you off, I guess."

"Off? Off of what?"

I groan, smacking my forehead. "This is going to be a long night."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

Raven edged away from the wild crowd of dancing bodies, feeling very uncomfortable. Rave music blasted loudly throughout the warehouse, and a headache was building up behind her eyes from the flashing strobe lights. Blackfire and the rest of the Titans were in the middle of the party, the center of the attention. Blackfire swayed her hips and twirled, winking suggestively at every good-looking guy who caught her eye.

Raven turned and slipped between two dancing teens, heading for the very corner of the huge warehouse. The further she walked from the raging crowd, the less stuffy the air became. She took refuge behind columns of haphazardly stacked wooden crates, using one that stuck out as a seat. She breathed a sigh of relief and crossed her legs in a meditative pose, wondering why she had even bothered coming. Parties weren't exactly her cup of tea.

…In fact, what was this even a party for?

She guiltily recalled how Danny had volunteered staying at the Tower with Starfire when he had only known her for a week or two, whereas the rest of the Titans had readily ditched her for her sister. Poor Starfire must have felt so rejected.

Raven pulled her hood up over her head and closed her eyes, relaxing her body. _I'll wait just a few more minutes and then head back to the Tower._

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

I might have re-considered going to the party if anyone had warned me how uproariously Starfire snores. All the lights in the main room are flicked off, and even I am starting to feel a bit weary, but geez. Starfire is sprawled on the couch, her limbs flung everywhere. Her head is pinning my hand to the couch cushion. Onscreen, I watch the credits start to roll and yawn, grabbing the remote and clicking off the movie. The room is immediately plunged into darkness as the lit up screen goes black. I gently ease my hand out from under Star's head and stand, placing my hands on my back and arching my spine. I consider waking her, and then dismiss the idea, not wanting for her to have to wait for the others to get back.

Pft. The others. _Really_ good friends, aren't they? I thought that Robin, of all people, would volunteer to stay home with her, but I guess I was wrong. I very gently burrow my hands underneath Star's back and legs and lift her into the air, carrying her slim form to the opposite end of the couch with ease. Blackfire will probably try to kick her off the sofa when she gets back, but I'm too lazy to carry Starfire to her room. I snatch one of the folded blankets from underneath the coffee table and spread it over the Tamaranean, watching with concern as she frowns in her sleep and curls up into the fetal position, letting out a small whimper. "…Robin…"

I roll my eyes and plop down on my part of the couch, burying my head in the fluffy pillow and pulling my soft blanket around my shoulders. "G'night, Star."

She doesn't answer, but I don't expect her to. My mouth stretches wide in a final yawn, and I snuggle deeper into the pillow, taking deep, slow breaths. I fall into a light doze quickly enough…

_The white choppers had been following me for a good half hour. I darted through alleyways, went intangible to run through buildings, even tried faking them out, but nothing was working. I sobbed as I ran; my face felt like it was blazing, and warm blood poured down my cheek, splattering on my shirt. My eye- the one that had gotten grazed by the bullet- throbbed with agonizing pain. I blindly scrabbled in my pocket for my cell-phone as I sprinted around a corner, looking for a safe place to transform. It took me a few tries because of my trembling fingers, but I managed to dial Sam's number before my vision blurred from the tears and blood loss. _

_I pressed the device to my ear as I crouched in a bush, calling forth my ghost half. My eye should have healed at least a little bit by now, because of my enhanced healing, but it hadn't. Why wasn't it healing? WHY WASN'T IT HEALING? I was hyperventilating. Even though my chest heaved for breath, I felt like I couldn't get enough air, and that something was squeezing my lungs. Everything felt vague and surreal. I kept waiting to wake up from this sick, twisted nightmare. _

_My eye pulsed again in pain and I took in a shuddering breath, moaning slightly as I brushed the area with my fingertips. The light touch sent tidal waves of agony flooding through my eye and I let out a low, agonized grunt. How could this be happening? Another sob racked my body as I thought of my mother's face, twisted in hatred, as she aimed the barrel of the ecto-gun at me. _

_Ecto-gun. That was why the wound wasn't healing. The bullet was probably molded ectoranium. _

_The cell rang three times before Sam picked up. She was panting, and I could hear her feet pounding the ground as she ran. I could have smacked myself. I was so stupid! Why did I leave Sam and Tuck defenseless?_

_"Danny?" She sounded panicked and breathless. I covered my mouth with my shaking hand, closing my eyes tightly as I tried to slow my heartbeat. "Danny, where are you?"_

_I leaned out of the bush slightly to check the street sign. "I'm fine, Sam. I'm on the corner of Ashwood and Rowanwood. Where are you? Is Tucker there? Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, Tucker's here too. The choppers and goons are only after you, it seems. Danny, listen, whatever you do, stay there. Do, not, move. Got it? We're on our way."_

_I winced as a search beam passed over the bush I was crouched in. "Sam, I can't, they'll catch me."_

_Silence, except for panting, as she struggled to find a new plan. "Um, let's meet at my house, then!"_

_I could do that. Her house was actually kind of close to where I was now. "All right, got it." My heart squeezed at the thought of her getting hurt and I whispered, "I love you. Be safe."_

_Silence. I thought I'd lost the cell phone connection for a second, before she muttered, "Love you too," in an emotionless voice. The line went dead a second later with an ominous click. I snapped the phone shut and slipped it back in my pocket, taking deep breaths as I prepared to run out into-_

"Danny! DANNY! HEEEEELP!"

I bolt upright, eyes flying open, my heart pounding. For a second, I think I am still running from the GiW, still holding my old cell phone in my sweaty palm. Phantom pains throb in my eye and I wince, pressing the heel of my hand into the socket. My heart is still pounding like a jackhammer.

"Daaaaaaaaannnyyyyyy!"

I jump in surprise and fall over the edge of the couch, landing hard on the floor. Glass fragments slice deeply into my skin and I let out a short exclamation of pain before rolling over on my back.

"Starfire? Star?" My eyes finally adjust to the darkness, and my eyes widen. One of the glass windows is completely smashed, and the reflective shards are scattered carelessly across the floor. A few pieces still cling to the empty window frame.

Starfire is gone.

"STARFIRE!" I climb to my hands and knees, wincing as blood begins to trickle from my wounds. I hobble to the smashed window, trying to avoid the glass. Even so, my feet are lacerated into shreds by the time I get to the empty frame.

The night is slightly chilly, and the salty tang of the air slaps me in the face, burning my nostrils. I cough and throw my sleeve across my mouth, blocking my nose. I restrain my senses and the burning lessens immediately. Blinking my eyes to clear the reflex tears, I slightly lean out the window, squinting. I can make out a dark silhouette against the starry night background, but…

My eyes glow a bright green and a soothing chill encompasses my body as I sharpen my vision. It looks like…like Star is being carried off by one of those freaky squid things…

I mutter a curse and morph into my ghost half. I form a duplicate and make it switch back to human.

"Call the other Titans and get them back here," I snap, and the duplicate nods. I snatch my communicator out of my pocket and toss it to the doppelganger.

Duplication is a funny thing. It can create, literally, another "me," but it can't replicate the objects I have on my person at the time, except for clothes.

The copy flips open the communicator and starts contacting Robin while I climb onto the window frame, balancing precariously. I look down- way, _way_ down, where the churning waves are crashing against the rocky outcropping of the island. If I were a normal human being, this would be super scary.

It's a good thing I'm not.

I smile, and then lean forward, sliding off the frame and falling out of the Tower.

Wind whistles through my hair, blowing it back from my face, and my eyes are narrowed to thin slits from the wind. I free-fall for fifty feet, then clap my legs and arms together, blasting off at a speed of around 350 miles per hour. I angle myself upwards, spearing through the clouds like an arrow, trailing the vapor in my wake. I catch up to Star in no time. Her arms have been pinned to her sides and her legs are bound together by the slippery tentacles. Her eyes are glowing brightly as she squirms and wriggles, her screams muffled by one of the flexible appendages wound around her mouth. I put my hands together and summon cryogenic energy. My palms glow a soft, pulsating blue, and I release a wide beam of ice energy from my hands, hitting the squid on its side. A thick crust of ice forms over its shell and it spazzes, as I predicted. The tentacles loosen their hold and Starfire manages to slip free, darting away from the stubborn machine.

She rubs the feeling back into her arms and faces me, looking wary. "It is you, the Wraith, if I am not mistaken?"

I give her a quick bow and a salute, smirking slightly.

"Wraith, at your service."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

**Okay, okay, I know I didn't cover the whole episode in one chapter. Honestly, I'm about to leave on a nice, long vacay tomorrow, and I worked my butt off to get this ready for you. **

**I'm really sorry if there are a lot of mistakes, but my mom is pressuring me to go to bed right now, so I didn't have time to email this to my beta, Dropwing. Dropwing, if you're reading this, I'm really sorry!**

**It has also come to my attention that I rarely ever do disclaimers.**

**(Sucks in huge breath) "I DO NOT OWN DANNY PHANTOM OR TEEN TITANS, HOWEVER MUCH I WISH I DO!" **

**I am, however, willing to pay nine cents and a bit of lint to buy it, if you're reading this, Butch Hartman and whoever else created whatever. By the power invested in me by myself, I do declare this disclaimer to last throughout the entire story. **

**Once again, thank you all for the phenomenal review responses! Thank you so much, and have a nice day!**


	11. Chapter 11: Sam

**A/N:**

**School is sucking the life out of me. SO. BORING. **

**As usual, special thanks and love to the following people for reviewing: Cloud9timeforEmu, InvaderL, ChopSuzi, VampireFrootloopsRule, coldblue, Yijasha, Lord Jace, Chrizzie1, Rearea210, Lady Gryphonlnia, Sharkdude5, theoaintedring, zoeshade, Turkeyhead987, A, juniperlei, Somnialunaei, HalfafanD, LandofMidnightRain, FlowersofAsh, coldblue, book phan44, RumorPhantom1412, blackjay48, Riqis Inna Sunja, DannysaysRAWR, Shiva the Sarcastic, Jade Riddle 19, coldblue, ChristinCC, Guest, mountainelements, phangirl4eva, unknown, cvvphantom217, Slytherin's Pimp, Animegal809, shugokage, The Last Z Fighter, Video (otherwise addressed as VGF1213 and Lily Fantom?), Queen of Vampires, Angelic Toaster, Sehkmet, Guest, DB-KT, TheBlackSpirits, XBlueGardevoir14-AshxMayX, Colonial marine, SupernaturalfreakisSG-1fan20, urbangirl98, TheWhiteTitan, pmw065, coldblue, sora kazega, TheWhiteTitan, coldblue. __****  
**

**EVERYONE! I know and completely understand that you have questions, but please hold them! I will not be revealing when the Titans discover his identity, if they even do, when, where, how, why, and all other questions related to that! I absolutely love that you're interested enough to ask me them in the first place, but please don't expect an answer. If you ask me, I swear I'll respond like this: "Not telling! XD"**

**Another note: I am certain I've mentioned it before, but in this AU I already gave the Titans the T-Car. It just works better. Don't judge me!**

**On another note: I've finally figured out what to do with the whole apprentice thingymajig. I will be attempting to do a Danny as Slade's apprentice arc, (most of you voted for this anyway) but I will be heavily tampering with Season 2 (or is it 3? I have to check. Anyway, it's the Terra arc.) and that will deeply involve Robin. I hope this please everyone. If it doesn't, well, sorry. I can't make all of your happy, guys. **

**On even another note: In case you guys were wondering, I am a girl. XD Not a guy. **

**Last notice I swear: More incredible fanart! Go check it out on deviantart! I can't thank those who have submitted their artwork enough! I am still fiddling with my copier. I may learn how to scan my own drawings and post them, but for the meantime, I got nothing. :(**

**Coldblue, I think you are my biggest fan. I can't tell you how much your constant reviews cheer me up when I'm down. :)**

**Oh, and Wings-Of-The-Owl, where are you? I miss our long talks!**

**Haunted Memories**

**Chapter 11: Sam**

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

_**Previously, on Avatar:**_

_**(Just kidding.)**_

_**Ahem. **_

_**Previously, on Haunted Memories:**_

_The tentacles loosen their hold and Starfire manages to slip free, darting away from the stubborn machine. _

_She rubs the feeling back into her arms and faces me, looking wary. "It is you, the Wraith, if I am not mistaken?"_

_I give her a quick bow and a salute, smirking slightly._

"_Wraith, at your service."_

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

**If you haven't read my author's note, please at least read the important notices. Okay, sorry, continue with the story. Just making you all aware of some things I have addressed. **

**__****_-:;(-);:-_**  


**You know, I can sense it when you haven't read my wonderful author's note. I'm like ninja Santa. READ IT NOW!**

**__****_-:;(-);:-_**

My voice is lowered and slightly raspy, with an eerie echo vibrating behind the words. She shivers as my body naturally lowers the surrounding temperature.

"That is your real name? Wraith? I had thought friend Cyborg had assigned you the nickname."

I tilt my head, smirking. "I'm not real picky with names. It sounds cool. I like it. You may call me it if you wish."

Still slightly confused, she nods anyway. I don't blame her. Earth's ways and culture are still foreign to the teenage girl. "I thank you for your help, Wraith. Machines like these seem to be pursuing me without relent."

As if to prove her statement, the squid slaps the ice with its tentacles, cracking the glittering crust. Large chunks of ice fall off and it shudders, spraying us with ice crystals. I form another duplicate, smirking slightly at Starfire's gasp of surprise at my display of power.

"Careful. I don't think the fight's over just yet!" I quickly pull my dirk out of its sheath and protectively zoom in front of Starfire as the squid lunges through the air, its tentacles writhing in agitation. With my free hand, I discharge a bolt of ecto-ice, slowing it down, and then I plunge my dirk deeply into the pink shell, piercing it with ease. I twist the pommel of the weapon in my hand, slicing through the circuits even further. Electricity crackles from the snapped wires and I reach into the hole I created, pulling out a handful of the cables, stretching them until they're pulled taut. I cut them in half with one stroke of my dirk. Immediately, the blinking light near the top of its body fades and it convulses once, then goes limp.

"Whoa!" It starts falling, and I soar underneath it and grab it by the tip of its tentacles, gripping them tightly as I start to swing the machine in a circle. With an exerted grunt, I release it and watch with satisfaction as the centripetal force sends it flying through the air, trailing smoke from its broken armor. It reaches the pinnacle of its flight and then angles down, falling, falling, when-

My eyes widen. _Holy crap._

The destroyed piece of alien weaponry slams into a gigantic floating spaceship, exploding spectacularly upon impact. I look at Starfire with wide glowing eyes.

"Did you see that there earlier? Because I know I didn't."

Starfire rubs her upper arms, uncertainty dripping from her posture. "Oh, I hope my friends arrive soon…"

The enormous aircraft is still nearly seventy yards away, so I cross my legs and sit in midair. My cloak billows softly behind me, and Starfire is silent (_cough_ for once _cough_). I relax my posture, inhaling deeply. With a little conscious effort, I slip into the mind of my duplicate.

_I blink, startled, as a wave of dizziness sweeps over me. I rub my temple, wincing as I brush away the disorientation. We're on our way to the area where Starfire's locator is emitting distress calls. I'm sitting in the T-Car's backseat, with Cyborg driving, Robin in the passenger seat (I called shotgun but apparently those rules don't apply to the Boy Wonder), and Beast Boy lounging between Raven and me. Lacking room in the car, Blackfire follows us in the sky._

"_Starfire's communicator is transmitting its location from above the bay," Cyborg announces, glancing at his built-in wrist computer. "I don't know how much Robin, Danny, and I will be able to help you guys."_

"_Hey guys…do we have any missiles? Or, like, weapons able to take down…oh, I don't know…a floating spaceship?" I inquire nervously, leaning forward in my seat and pointing. _

_Cyborg ducks his head in order to look upwards through the windshield, his cybernetic eye implant raking the sky. His human one widens in shock._

"_Aw, heck."_

I pull myself out of my doppelganger's mind, gasping a little bit as double vision passes over my eyes. I gather my balance quickly enough and straighten my legs, observing the situation. The spaceship is forty yards away, moving fast, quickly eating up the distance between us. Is it just me, or is it turning in our direction?

"Shouldn't your little friends be here soon?" I deadpan through gritted teeth. Adrenalin is running rampant through my body. She blushes in embarrassment. "When he squid abducted me from my home, I attempted to call for help. But my communicator slipped out of my grasp and fell into the ocean below." She crouches into a battle pose and her hands begin to glow a bright fluorescent green. "I do not have a way to call for help," she adds, and I restrain myself from rolling my eyes.

_Really?_

Of course, I already know the Titans are on their way, but I can't really let Star know that I know that the Titans know where we are without letting her know who I really am.

…What the heck did I just think?

A strange creature suddenly emerges out of a trapdoor on the flat deck of the airship. It looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie gone wrong: robotic-looking body, with large metallic pinchers that look very powerful. It possesses no neck. Instead, its blockish head sits right on top of its shoulders. A pentagon symbol is etched into its chest, and its eyes brightly glow yellowish-green.

Instinctively, I shake my fingers just a little, feeling torrents of energy flood through my arms and pool at my fingertips.

Starfire gasps loudly. "I know them! They are the-"

Her sentence is cut off as the upright crab-thing lifts its massive pincher and opens the hefty claws wide. A green tentacle fires from its body, traversing the minimal distance between the aircraft and us within the space of a second. It wraps securely around Starfire's slim figure, slapping across her mouth and abruptly cutting off her screams. Her eyes glow brightly with desperate power, but her arms are pinned to her chest and unable to move. Robocrab begins to reel her in steadily.

My aura flares and I streak upward, ascending higher and higher into the starlit heavens. I can see Starfire's pretty face angled up towards me, her shapely eyes burning with fear and anger. They scream _don't leave me! _almost as loudly as if she were physically yelling.

"Hold on, hold on," I mutter, and I bring my upward charge to an abrupt halt. Then, feet first, I blast downwards.

Dani (my female clone, if you can't remember) used her feet a lot to throw ectoblasts. After I'd escaped the GiW, I hung out in the ghost zone with her for a few weeks. When I had recovered a bit from my… ordeal… I taught her as many tricks as I could in the time we spent together, and she, in turn, showed me how she fought using energized kicks.

Two circles of green ectoplasmic energy encase my feet, and I whirl, throwing my right foot out in a roundhouse kick, discharging the energy from my leg in a wide, diffuse wave of green. Completing the 360 spin, I lift my left leg high enough that the knee almost touches my upper torso, and then slam it downwards in a powerful axe kick. A blob of highly condensed energy hurtles from my boot, trailing wisps of glowing smoke behind it.

The first blast of energy, shaped like a fan, hits the ship hard. The entire structure shudders in protest and tilts a little, shifting Robocrab off balance slightly. The second ectoball strikes the creature right in its broad chest, knocking it right off its…er…feet-thingies. Its pinchers close instinctually, slicing the strange green cable. The tentacle loosens around Starfire and she wiggles free. The severed limb slips off her body and begins its fall to the ocean far, far below.

I kick backwards, propelling my body down, and swoop over the ship, glancing it over. Instinctively, my hand rests on the hilt of the beautiful dagger lashed to my waist, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

Another Robocrab climbs out of the hatch. I immediately switch into invisibility, watching as it turns its ugly face towards Starfire, like it was a missile locking onto its target.

_What do they have against her? _

I angle downwards and glide directly over its head. It stiffens, pivoting around on its heel, but I'm already phasing into its body, my mind expanding and smothering its conscious, forcing it back into a little corner of its head. I blink, swaying a bit as I adjust to its towering height and different body proportions. I lift my arm, looking at the wicked pincer, and snap it twice, listening to the satisfying _click_ it makes.

_Oh, cool._

Then I concentrate, sorting through its recent memories. Its mind objects, feebly attacking my mental shields, but I easily shake off the assault.

_Let's see… controlling the ship's directions…tracking the pink squids- I mean, probes…listening to the commander ordering him to capture the Tamaranian criminal…_

A picture of a girl floats briefly to the surface of the Robocrab's mind. (It refers to its squad as the Centauri police, but I think Robocrab sounds better.)

A picture of a girl clad in a plated, dark jumpsuit with long, silky black hair, angled purple eyes, and a smirk so evilly arrogant it would make Vlad's look like a baby's pout.

In other words, Blackfire.

_That little-!_

Enraged, I phase out of the Robocrab's body. The alien teeters for a second, then collapses, letting out a deep groan. I conjure a ball of sticky ectoplasm and securely glue the creature to the aircraft's deck.

Then I turn and begin sprinting, bunching my legs and leaping off the side of the ship, tucking my body in a couple of somersaults before straightening out and zooming to the ship's bow. Starfire is engaged in combat with the alien commander, desperately throwing starbolt after starbolt. Each one hits its mark, but they seem to have very little effect on the looming figure.

"You will pay for your crimes," he booms, rotating the pincer in its socket and clicking it ominously as he draws closer. Starfire looks like she's on the verge of having a panic attack.

"I-do-not-know-what-you-are-talking-about! Aaaargh!" She screams between blasts, growing more and more frustrated. The alien is now close enough to backhand her across the face with his formidable appendage. She hits the deck hard and rolls, having to fling her arms out to halt her momentum.

So angry I almost can't think straight, I collide head-on with the commander, dragging him a good twenty feet away from poor Star, forcing him to the ground and pinning him there with my enhanced strength. Without thinking, my dagger is suddenly whipped out of my sheath and gripped in my fist, reflecting the beautiful stars in the sky above. I press the blade to his short throat.

"You touch her again and I'll kill you," I hiss scathingly, picking him up and slamming his blockish head against the deck for good measure. He struggles for a second, but I apply more pressure to the blade and he grudgingly goes still, smart enough to recognize a death threat when he sees one.

"Now, if you weren't so opinionated in the belief that _she_"-I jerk my head towards Starfire-"is the criminal you're looking for, you would listen to her and know that she's telling the truth!"

"She stole the Centauri moon diamond from our planet," the Commander spits venomously, bristling. "She _will_ be punished!"

I lose it.

"_Shut up!_ You don't know anything!" I flip backwards off of him and, with lightning speed, lash him to the deck with multiple ectoropes. He writhes, grunting in rage.

I saunter up to him and place a booted foot on his chest, pushing him back onto the floor with much unneeded force.

"_You_ listen to _me_ now. I'm going to find the criminal and bring her back here. If you have any objections, keep them to yourself, because frankly, _I could care less!_"

I stalk away, my cape fluttering violently, disturbed by the powerful aura I am exuding. I, being the ladies man that I am, politely offer Starfire a hand. She blushes but takes it anyway, allowing me to lift her to her feet.

I begin to walk away. She follows like a lost puppy, hesitantly poking my shoulder.

"Not-enemy-or-friend Wraith? If I may ask, who is piloting the ship?" She inquires nervously, and I freeze, one foot still in the air, just now becoming aware of the fact that the deck is tilting sharply beneath my feet, and any untied crates or other objects are rolling past us.

"Aw, crap."

I phase through the deck, entering the ship. Luckily, I pop out right into what seems to be the control room. Off to the right, two of the squid probes are in stasis inside large Plexiglas tubes. Feeling spiteful, I fire two beams of ecto-ice at the containers, encasing them in a rather impressive block of clear ice. _That was for my ruined boots, jerks._

I can feel the ship beginning to gather speed, so I hustle over to the control panel. It looks simple enough. A bank of flashing buttons and something that almost seems like the steering wheel of a car. I crack my knuckles.

"Looks simple enough. How difficult can it be?" I love the stars. I love NASA and rocket ships. I even know how to fly one. This wouldn't be hard.

I touch the wheel. A strange hissing sound fills the air and the device suddenly withdraws into the machine. Plates on the wall flip open and deadly looking blasters extend from them, their tips glowing red, homed in on- you guessed it.

Me. Oh, and my big fat mouth.

"Yup. Not hard at all."

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

Starfire pivoted violently on her heel, frantically throwing glances around her. Where had Wraith gone? His form suddenly went translucent and sank through the floor. Nervously, she rushed into the air, watching as the ship began to fall gracelessly, smoke drifting from some of its ports. She cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Wraith?" She screamed, coughing slightly from the smoke.

No answer.

Her heartbeat pounded. What if he died? It would be her fault. If she hadn't been so weak, he wouldn't have had to save her (her tan cheeks blushed scarlet at the thought as she remembered when his amazing cloak had shifted out of the way slightly, revealing a toned, built chest. Then she recalled his piercing, angled eyes that glowed brighter than the sun. She wished with all her heart that she could reach up and flip his hood off, just to look at his face. She wondered if he was handsome. He was certainly brave, and strong, and polite-)

A high keening sound reached her ears and she shook her head, trying to remove the scattered thoughts from her brain.

Somehow, a fire had blazed into life on the aircraft's right side, and it crackled with fervor, rapidly spreading to other parts of the ship. She gasped.

Wraith must be inside. Inside the burning spaceship. Inside the burning spaceship that was heading down, its nose aiming directly for the ocean.

Her eyes smoldered with determination.

"This will not be the end!" She snarled to herself, and she jetted towards the crashing ship, soaring underneath it. She passed it by and reached the bow of the aircraft, twisting sharply so that she was flying backwards, facing the large spaceship. Her body buzzed with strength and with an animalistic scream, she punched the ship with both hands, buckling the metal and leaving deep hand-shaped imprints. She gritted her teeth and began to fly forward, attempting to slow the aircraft's increasingly rapid descent.

It was hard. Even though it seemed like she could not possibly thrust harder, the ship resisted her stubbornly, its massive momentum carrying it forward. Her scream of effort increased in pitch and she braced herself, her fingers curling and piercing through the crumpled metal.

_I will not fail._

_I will not fail._

_I_

The ship seemed to be slowing down slightly now, giving her hope.

_Will_

They had passed over the bay and were hurtling over a stretch of craggy ground, filled with jutting slabs of rock. Her long hair whipped stingingly at her face, forcing her eyes to squint.

_Not_

Impact was imminent. Her sixth sense screamed at her to abandon the lost cause and fly away.

_FAIL!_

With a burst of hidden strength, she gave one final driving effort, laying her body out flat against the ship. It shuddered and lost the momentum. A second later, it almost gently touched down, the belly of the ship skidding against the rocks and throwing bright sparks. It hit a protruding stone and bounced, jumping almost fifteen feet into the air. Starfire lost her grip and slipped under it, watching with wide eyes as the aircraft soared over her head, its immense shadow passing over her entire body. She hit the ground hard and cried out in pain as she skidded, absolutely helpless in the grip of her momentum's force. Somewhere, she heard a metallic screech as the ship landed once again on the rocky, uneven ground.

She waited a few seconds until the ringing sound in her ears had faded. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she pushed herself to her knees, wincing as her entire body throbbed. The spaceship lay on its side forty yards away, propped against a towering slab of rock that rose from the earth.

She forced her body into a sprint, leaping into the air and flying the rest of the distance. She reached the aircraft in seconds and drew her fist back in a punch, slamming the smooth walls repeatedly. They groaned in protest, withstanding her blows stubbornly, and she growled, lighting her hand up with a starbolt and smashing it once more. The energized blow burned a hole right through the metal and she gripped the sides of the breach, ripping it open into a sizable gap large enough that she could slip through.

The halls of the massive ship were eerily empty, dark, and quiet. She held up a glowing fist to light her way, striding forward through the narrow corridors.

"Wraith? Wraith!" She beckoned urgently. Hot tears pricked her eyes. He couldn't be dead. Not after all the effort she had put into stopping the ship…

She reached a large sliding metal door that barred her way and knocked it down with a single powerful kick. It fell flat with a loud boom, stirring up a cloud of dust. She leaned forward, peeking around the doorframe.

At first, she saw nothing but a dim, shadowy control panel. Crushed and destroyed weapons hung limply from small octagonal ports in the wall, sparking spasmodically. She took a step further, crossing the threshold. A low groan issued from the far left of the room. She whirled on her heel, eyes wide.

Wraith's limp figure, emitting a weak white aura, was slung carelessly across a part of the control bank. His cloak, normally snapping and billowing like white flames, was waving sluggishly, concealing half of his lithe frame. His head was tilted against the wall, keeping the white hood thrown over his face. She saw nothing but darkness under his hood, signifying that his eyes were closed. She gasped, slapping a hand against her mouth, and rushed forward, kneeling by his side. She tentatively rested a petite hand on his arm.

"Wraith…?"

He moaned once again and lifted his head feebly. "Where's the fire?" He slurred, his head lolling slightly.

"It was put out by the ship's crash," Starfire explained helpfully.

"Oh. Thas' nice…" His head plunked against the wall and he went limp again. White rings burst into existence around his waist, slowly splitting and beginning to travel apart. She inhaled sharply in surprise at the sudden onslaught of light, reeling backwards, shielding her dazzled eyes with her hand from the brightness of the halos. Her loud noise of exclamation seemed to startle Wraith into wakefulness, and he jerked forward, shattering the glowing rings. His chest heaved for breath under the wispy cloak and his head snapped to the side, looking at her frantically.

"You-I-" He seemed to choke the words out, sounding horrified. She tilted her head in confusion.

"I…what?" She questioned, watching as he staggered almost comically to his feet, using the wall for support.

"You didn't see…anything…?" He panted, sounding completely taken by surprise. She shrugged uncertainly.

"Was I meant to see something in the rings of light?"

"Uh…" He coughed once to regain his composure. "Nope! Nothing at all." Then, without any predisposition of movement, he lunged forward, grabbing her arm. A deep chill rolled through her body and she shivered, goosebumps rising on her arms. She watched, appalled, as her body shimmered into that strange translucent state. Wraith kicked off the floor, carrying her effortlessly. She reddened at their close proximity. They headed straight for the ceiling of the room and she squeaked in surprise, hiding her face, expecting to smack painfully into the metal. Instead, she smelled fresh cool air a second later, and the night breeze tousled her red hair lovingly. She cracked open an eye. They were outside the ship.

…How?

As if sensing her curiosity, Wraith shrugged. "It's called intangibility." He informed her, soaring away from the wreckage, her body resting comfortably in his cold arms. "It allows me to move through solid objects."

He lightly touched down thirty yards away from the crash zone, setting her down with ease. She stumbled back a bit, gripping her arms. "Is there any way that I can possibly repay you?"

He regarded her seriously. "You have a sister…right?"

She nodded in confusion, sadness cracking her heart. Of course he would be interested in her sister. All the males were… "Yes…how did you-"

"Doesn't matter," he interrupted hurriedly. "Look, this might be hard to believe, but I think she's the criminal they were after and they mistook you for her."

She gasped. Tears of betrayal welled up in her eyes. "She would never…!"

He sighed, crossing his arms across his muscular chest. "Think about it. They claimed a…Centauri moon diamond had been stolen." He pronounced _Centauri_ awkwardly, the unfamiliar word fumbling in his mouth. He tapped the beautiful gem hanging around her neck. "Who gave you this?'

The facts clicked together in her head. Her shoulders quaked and she turned around, hiding her face in her hands. Quiet sobs shook her body softly.

Her own sister…!

Wraith stood there awkwardly, giving her shoulder a pat. "I…uh…sorry." His voice sounded sympathetic and understanding. She sniffed, scrubbing at her eyes.

"I cannot believe it…" She murmured, turning around to face him. "My own sister…"

He hesitated, sighing, then spoke. "I know this is hard for you…but unless you want them to drag your butt to jail…you're going to have to confront her." His tone was somehow firm and soft at the same time.

She nodded in affirmation, her fists clenching at her sides. Righteous anger batted aside the sense of betrayal drenching her fragile heart. "She will be brought to justice," she growled through gritted teeth.

She had been made to look like a fool.

Those probes had hunted her relentlessly.

Her own family had betrayed her!

_She would not stand for this!_

The screech of tires on rock suddenly shattered the night. Both she and Wraith turned, watching as the T-Car drove over the slightly uneven ground, its spinning tires spitting gravel. It skidded to a halt and the doors flew open with a bang. The titans tumbled out, sprinting across the earth to her.

"Star! You're okay!" Beast Boy hurled himself into her arms, transforming into an octopus to wrap his tentacles around her in a tight, suffocating hug. She smiled weakly.

"Girl! What happened?" Cyborg ground to a halt beside her, looking cautiously ecstatic. Raven softly glided over to Starfire's side, her dark eyes fixed on Wraith's intimidating figure.

"And why is this guy with you?" She questioned, landing lightly.

"I'd like to know that too," Robin growled, pacing towards the group, a hand resting on his utility belt. Starfire could not tell for sure, but it seemed like Wraith rolled his glowing eyes at Robin's demand.

Danny was the last to scramble out of the car, tripping a few times over rocks and debris as he stumbled towards them, a beaming smile stretched across his face.

"I knew you'd be okay!"

Wraith snorted quietly, seemingly amused. He and Danny's eyes connected. Something hidden seemed to pass between them, before Danny looked over at her, noting the scratches marring her otherwise perfect, tanned skin. "You…are okay, right?"

Starfire sagged a little bit, the exhaustion setting in. "Mostly." She took a deep breath, realizing that there was no point in, what did the humans say, beating a bush while around. Something like that.

"My sister Blackfire has framed me," she told them solemnly. She was proud that her voice only held the smallest quiver. "The aliens chasing me are Centauri Police. Apparently," she fingered the stunning gem necklace regretfully, "Blackfire stole this and delivered it to me, fully aware that I would be the one accused."

The Titans simply looked at her, completely taken by surprise. Pain and shock reflected in their eyes. For some reason, Danny looked the most upset by the horrendous news. His fists shook. A quiet murmur slipped from his lips.

"Betrayed…"

He shook his head wordlessly and took a step away, unable to look at her.

Robin was the first to react. He punched a fist into his palm. "We'll get her," he promised darkly. Starfire glanced down sadly.

Cyborg spoke up. "Uh…guys…where did she go?"

In the background, Danny facepalmed, shaking his shaggy head in disbelief.

"Try looking up," Wraith muttered coolly. The Titans craned their necks back, watching a streak of purple jetting across the dark, star-strewn sky. Starfire fell to her knees, utterly defeated.

"I am too exhausted," she cried out in frustration, "I cannot fight her in this condition." She had exerted too much energy stopping the spacecraft. In this state, she would be no match for her sister.

Wraith hesitated, then placed a slightly glowing hand on her shoulder. Robin growled protectively. Wraith looked at him condescendingly. "Down, boy," he mocked coldly, speaking as if Robin was a dog. The Boy Wonder bristled in response.

Wraith turned his attention back to the silently grieving Tamaranian. His fingertips glowed, and Starfire's hunched back straightened in surprise. A flood of rejuvenating energy rushed through her body, erasing the aches and pains. She gasped and leapt to her feet, twirling in the air. A bright white glow danced across her healthy tanned skin before sinking into her flesh.

"I…that was…" she exclaimed breathlessly.

Heads turned, looking at Wraith for an explanation. He crossed his arms and looked away pointedly. "Maybe, if you all had given me a chance, you would realize that I'm not the bad guy you make me out to be," he said venemously, turning his back to them.

Starfire caught him by surprise. She tackled him, hugging him fiercely. "I thank you thank you thank you so very much!"

Robin shifted uncomfortably and Wraith flinched underneath his cloak. He phased through her viselike grip, brushing imaginary dirt off his arms, looking slightly uncomfortable. Starfire levitated a few feet higher into the sky, her brilliant eyes raking the skyline. "I do not see her anymore," she stated worriedly, lacing her fingers together and clasping them against her chest.

Wraith's pale lips upturned in a playful smirk. His eyes flashed bright green, briefly illuminating his entire face, but as soon as Starfire looked closer, his features were shadowed again. The only thing she had been able to make out was the outline of a generally handsome, young face, framed by slightly wavy, tousled white locks.

Heat rose to her cheeks again.

"I can see her," he informed them, kicking off the ground lightly and hovering effortlessly next to Starfire.

"What? How?"

He tapped the side of his white hood with a gloved finger. One stunning toxic-green eye closed in a wink. "Enhanced vision." Starfire beamed at him joyfully. Wraith stooped over, placing his face next to Robin's ear. "Jealous?" He whispered deviously, fighting the smug smirk taking over his face.

Robin seethed and looked away, fighting his urge to punch him right in his shaded face.

"Of what?" He shot back, in an equally low tone of voice. "Having mental break-downs?"

Right as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd made a mistake. The exquisite green eyes narrowed to thin slits and the gloved fingers curled into fists. His white-clad figure glowed brightly, and his anger was almost palpable.

"Say that again," he murmured, in an eerily calm voice. "I dare you."

Robin was uneasy. He barely knew anything about this guy. Even so, he grinned challengingly, tilting his head. No way would he back down in front of his entire team.

"That again."

Wraith jerked forward a bit, acting as if he was going to attack him. Robin immediately slid into a battle stance. Wraith paused, inches from his face. Robin found it strange that even at this close distance, he could not see the boy's upper face.

Suddenly, Wraith boomed out in laughter, doubling over at the waist. His echoed voice made it seem as if multiple Wraiths were laughing along with him, producing a freaky effect that put Robin on edge. He clapped Robin's shoulder, albeit a little more forcefully than needed.

"I like you, Spiky. Good attitude." The amusement in his tone was tangible.

Robin was at a loss for words. _…Spiky? __And mood swingy much?_

In the background, Danny was silently cracking up, discreetly shielding his grin behind his cupped hand. Wraith drifted backward and turned to face Starfire, lounging in midair as if he was resting on an invisible sofa.

"Come on, Sparkles. Let's go get your jerk sister."

Then he turned and blasted off, with those simple words. Starfire blinked twice, then shook her head and zoomed after him, climbing higher into the sky.

Cyborg looked at Robin in amusement.

"You jelly, _Spiky_?"

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

The night air feels amazing.

Cool streams rush past my face, threatening to push my hood off my head, but I spin in a corkscrew, clutching the rim of the fabric, smiling widely. The beautiful clear night provides a breathtaking view of the city spread out far below me, lights twinkling merrily.

It's so quiet up here, and for a second, I forget that Starfire is struggling to keep up, twenty yards behind me. I flip over, flying on my back, angling my head on my chest so I can watch her fly. I decelerate slightly, allowing her time to catch up. She doesn't look tired, though. Instead, her eyes sparkle with life, despite what she's just been through. I find myself admiring her for her strength and perseverance.

She draws alongside me, unconsciously tucking her hair behind her ear.

"So…f-friend Wraith…" she stutters. I flinch, nervously veering a few inches from her. She follows, closing the distance. She coughs, her face cherry red. "Um…d-do you know where Blackfire went?" Her voice comes out in a squeak.

I turn back over on my stomach, pointing with my arm. "She was flying that way, fast."

Even though I gave her an energy boost by utilizing some of my healing energy, she still isn't up to full strength. If we keep going at this pace, Blackfire will get away. I offer her a hand.

"May I?"

She hesitates, blushing, (honestly, I don't remember her face being this red whenever we hung out at the Tower) and accepts, placing her dainty hand on my arm.

I make us intangible. The change is notable immediately. Instead of fighting the air, buffeted by night winds, we slide easily through it. Air resistance goes down to zero, and our speed increases instantly. Starfire's mouth is an O, her eyes sparkling like crazy.

A minute of slightly awkward silence later, I can see a bright, blazing purple speck forty yards in front of us. I raise the arm that Starfire isn't clinging to, aligning my palm with the distant figure, biting my tongue in concentration. Power pulses in my flesh, and I feel my core hum in content. A small radiant sphere the size of a ping-pong ball clusters above my palm.

"Will that have any effect?" Starfire questions its size, biting her lip in doubt, as I continually compact the energy. "It appears to be so tiny…"

The ectoball begins to become almost uncomfortably hot in my hand, and, checking my aim one more time, I mentally release it from my grasp.

Eagerly, it hurtles from my palm, the blowback from the force of the energy jerking Star and I to a shuddering halt. We watch, trailing the bright orb with our eyes as it cleaves the sky, closing in on the purple target faster and faster and-

_BOOM!_

A huge explosion as the highly condensed, destructive ectoball blindsides Blackfire with the speed of a missile. A dim figure, silhouetted by the glittering stars, begins to fall limply to the earth.

Grinning, I remark, "Tiny but deadly," and I blow wisps of smoke from my index finger, holding my hand like it's a gun.

She gasps, horrified. "You _killed_ her?"

_Sadly, probably not._

…_I think._

"Uh…"

In the distance, something flickers unsteadily, like a small flame being coaxed to life. Except it's purple.

Slightly relieved, I point to the oddly-colored pinprick of light that's steadily growing stronger. "Of course I didn't. What kind of person do you take me for?"

Relief and anger wage war on her face as she watches the purple glow streak across the horizon towards us.

She sighs. "Oh. Time to…time to confront her, then."

Not even a second later, a bright purple disc of energy slams into her chest, throwing her way, way back. Instinctively, I cross my arms, forming an X over my chest. A bubble of filmy green energy bleeds into existence, forming a protective sphere encasing my body.

_**WHAM!**_

Blackfire emerges out of nowhere and punches my shield, her face twisted in hate. Echoing sound waves from the incredible blow resonate through the sky. Her hair is disheveled, some of the ends burnt and charred. The hem of her skirt is torn into tatters. Her ruffled look coupled with the extreme loathing plastered all over her face makes her appear almost demonic.

"Was that you, you little punk?" She roars, smashing her clenched fists against my bubble over and over again, causing shockwaves to spread through the energy constructing the sphere. The supple formation holds, rippling slightly as it allows the force to pass through. "Did you throw that energy at _me?_"

"So what if I did? What are you gonna do about it?"

"Argh!" Her fury is kindled to new heights and she doubles the force and speed of her blows. I yawn, patting my mouth, effortlessly keeping the shield construct intact with one raised palm. The sound of her heavy, staggering pants is easily heard through my little bubble.

Finally figuring out that physically smashing the shield won't work, she maneuvers herself backwards so that she has put a distance of fifteen feet or so between us. Her hands burst with pulsating energy. As she draws back her arms to hurl the discs, I collapse the shield, re-absorbing the energy through my hand.

With a massive scream of effort, she lets loose a barrage of blindingly radiant energy spheres. This is actually a very good attack because it serves a double purpose: inflicting damage on the opponent, while disorienting them with the constant flashing.

I clap my hands together, rapid-firing short lasers of ecto-energy to counteract her starbolts. My ectobeams collide with hers head-on, throwing sparks everywhere. The resulting peals of sound, similar to thunder, vibrate deep within my very bones.

I see her silhouette fly directly through the cloud of sparks created by the energy collisions, her hands clamping forcefully on my shoulders and pushing me back. I place my hands over her own and buckle my body in a U shape, swinging both my feet into her toned stomach. My toes dig into her gut and throw her off my body, sending her straight up into the air. Too surprised to catch herself, she tumbles helplessly and I spin my body in a backflip. My toes clip her chin and she performs a couple of undignified midair somersaults. I hover confidently, my cloak fanning out around my body softly. A thick cumulonimbus cloud slowly inches over the soft, white full moon watching the spectacle from above. Deep darkness falls over the earth, but Blackfire's metal-plated sleeves reflect a little bit of the starry sky, and that's all I need to pinpoint her location.

With a crisp snap of my fingers, roaring tongues of ethereal ghostfire encompass my right arm. The trails of fire travel around my bicep, slithering down my elbow, and coiling tightly around my forearm. They almost resemble snakes in the way that they twist and spiral with startling grace.

Blackfire's wide, dark eyes reflect the dancing green flames, her pupils constricted in surprise.

The intensity of the heat distorts the air slightly, making it shimmer like a desert mirage. For a second, all is quiet except for the ominous crackling flames. I raise my hand, spreading the fingers. The rope of fire flows onto my palm and compresses itself like a spring waiting to be released.

_Sayonara, liar._

It's then that I realize that my arm is trembling violently for some alien reason_. _I look at my convulsing limb curiously, eyebrows slightly pricked. I feel cold, even though, well, my right arm is technically on fire. It's a weird, dead-ache sort of cold, not the type that I usually feel. The chill I usually feel is like the bite of frigid air in the middle of a heavy winter. This…this just feels numb.

It's not just my arm. My whole body is twitching, like I'm in the preliminaries of a seizure. Unable to focus, the energy I've gathered deteriorates, fading into nothing.

With sickening clarity, I realize my ailment.

I look up slowly, taking in Blackfire's somewhat bemused demeanor. She's shaken by my display of power but still keeping an eye on me in a circumspect manner.

Traitor_…_Betrayal_…_

_Sam's hand rose from the depths of her purple purse, her slim fingers wrapped securely around the handle of an ecto-pistol. My eyes widened in shock and I staggered back cautiously, waving my bloodstained hands. _

"_Sam, careful! Those things have ectoranium bullets! How did…how did you even get one-!" I choked on my words. They tumbled on my tongue, screeching to a halt and barely slipping past my lips as Sam gingerly lifted the ecto-pistol, the nose of the lethal weapon pointed straight at my chest. Her index finger brushed against the trigger playfully and I tensed, my good eye bugging out of its socket._

_Eyes half-lidded, she gave me a sweet, loving smile. _

"_Oh, Danny. So clueless, like always."_

A purple and red streak blurs past me, crashing into Blackfire and throwing her away. Dazed, I look down at my gloved hands, remembering when the pristine whiteness was stained with blood, when these very hands were locked into anti-ghost cuffs that drained my powers. My vision is buzzing with static. Everything is strangely muted. The only sound I hear is the blood rushing in my ears.

Then I'm tipping, and suddenly I'm falling. I know this because the stars are twinkling underneath me. Even in this state, my right hand slowly reaches up and grips my hood, holding it in place while I twist and turn like a ragdoll. A pressure builds behind my eyes.

_Aaah…my…my head…_

That single, unfocused thought sends me spiraling into a long, hazy dream about heads, and that leads me to thinking ponderously slow about minds, and mind shields, which, hey, I could probably use right now…

_Shield…now…_

Vertigo is draining; my body is rebooting and kick-starting itself.

_Shield…**now…**_

Fight it. Fight it. Don't let the schizophrenia take control right now.

_**SHIELD NOW!**_

I raise the walls slowly. It's hard at first. But they come along and the dizziness fades. Clarity returns. The numbness encasing my body fades, retreating as it is subjugated by my fortifying consciousness.

…I'm falling, I realize, and I painfully right myself, swinging around so that the moon is above me once again.

Deep breaths.

In. Out. In. Out.

I twitch my muscles, flicking my fingers, rotating my wrists and ankles, blinking my eyelids. Re-adjusting my motor skills. Slap my hands against my thighs a few times, get the ectoplasmic-blood flowing.

In…out…in…out…

My trembling limbs steady, but if my heart beat in this form, it would be stuttering in my chest.

I look down. 100 feet from the ground. 100 feet from going splat against the unwelcoming earth.

Drained. So tired.

I lower slowly. It lacks my usual flair. My cloak folds around my shoulders, as if sensing my predicament and sympathetically tightening its embrace. A tremor rolls down my spine. I hug the tattered material tighter around me.

Quiet. Why is it so quiet? It unnerves me, but I can't bring myself to care. I need to find something to keep me busy and occupied. Hold the flashbacks at bay.

My boots tap the ground. I plant my feet on it firmly, head ever so slightly bowed.

Sound of tires. Car doors slamming, feet running. A hand grabs my shoulder.

Too numb to react.

"Starfire! Where is she?"

It sounds garbled. With effort, I twist my neck to the side, meeting Robin's gaze. Looking in his veiled eyes. His mouth is a hard line, but a bolt of sympathy flashes across his features.

Slowly, I pivot on my heel, looking up. Echoing collisions, heard more distantly now. Bright flares of light, neon green vs. electric purple.

"What happened? You were supposed to be with her!"

Beast Boy. He sounds so young.

I shrug. Words slip out of my mouth, spoken in a monotone. Raven would be proud. "I detained Blackfire. Waited for Starfire. She came. Then I left." Pause. "It's not my battle to fight."

Raven's presence brushes my mind, bringing with it a wispy trail of niggling curiosity and the faint aroma of herbal tea. It calms me somehow, and I close my eyes. My shields lower the tiniest bit. A crack forms in the usually impenetrable stone walls. An image of her manifests in my head; her hood is up, but the edges of the silhouette are blurred. I watch her place a pale hand on the breach. At the touch, it ripples, slightly ripping apart even more.

If she wanted, she could force her way into my head right now. Find out all my secrets. See the horrid, bloody memories.

She knows I am watching her from the corners of my head. Her presence turns, looking at me, intelligent, soft purple eyes piercing the shadows.

A voice drifts from the figure._ Your mind is your own to possess. _

She removes her hand from the yawning split and backs away. The shadow starts to deteriorate. Her mind begins to disentangle itself from my own. I reach out a mental tendril, wrapping it around her almost tangible wrist and staying her.

_Thank you. _

I feel her nod in reply. I let go. She drifts away.

When I open my eyes again, she's looking away from me, sucking on her lower lip thoughtfully.

I look at the rest of the Titans. My duplicate, standing slightly behind the rest of the group, meets my eyes. His blue irises are full of pain and understanding. I watch as his image flickers, fading temporarily out of existence. None of the other Titans notice. They're looking at me. They don't know what to think.

I suck in a deep breath. Apologizing is always hard for me.

"Sorry if I've caused any trouble."

I teleport in a whirl of active energy. Crackling green flames sweep over my body, blocking my sight temporarily. When I blink them a few times to clear the dots caused by the bright light, I'm standing in the middle of Titan Tower's Main Ops room. I de-morph and look around, noting the floor strewn with glittering glass fragments. I stoop, picking one up and turning it over in my palm. It's very thick and heavy, and I bounce it a few times before tossing it in the small wastebasket bin by the kitchen counter. That probe must have collided with the glass pretty hard to shatter it so greatly. It's a wonder Starfire and I aren't seriously injured. I sigh heavily, flopping backwards onto my couch, tilting my head tiredly against the cushion. So tired…

Someone sits down at the end of the sofa, their weight causing the springs supporting the cushion to compress. I tense, eyes snapping open. Something's wrong. Craning my neck, my heart skips one beat, two, three, then just stops beating altogether.

Sam smiles softly, reclining on the couch with graceful ease. "Hey Danny. How are you?"

My mouth is dry, my jaw dropped. My eyes are wide.

What…

How…

Why…?

"Wordless with joy at the sight of me? I don't blame you. I guess I have changed a bit…"

Her black hair is much longer now, reaching her stomach, with some strands pulled back and tied in a small, sleek ponytail. Her face is more angular, having lost the roundness of youth, and her lips have filled out, thickly glossed with her favorite purple lipstick. Her skin is as pale as ever, her complexion clear and unblemished. She leans forward, propping her petite chin on her hand while she studies me through glimmering purple eyes. She's dressed in black, but I can spot accents of white in her outfit: An unbuttoned black crop jacket, hemmed with white, hangs loosely around her toned shoulders. Underneath it, a black tank top clings to her curvaceous form tightly, the neckline dipping low enough to show her collarbone but still preserving modesty. Fingerless gloves cover the skin of her hands. She wears a white skirt over black leggings, and her feet are clad in white, steel-toed combat boots.

She grows more wildly beautiful every time we meet.

I hate her. I hate her so much.

I lunge, knocking her over and pinning her to the couch by her wrists. I shove my face up in hers, every single feature twitching in utmost loathing. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just freeze your body solid and shatter it into a million pieces."

She sharply twists her hands, slipping them out of my grip. They flash down to a belt that cinches her waist, unhooking something, and the next second, she has an ecto-pistol whipped out and trained on my face.

"Careful, _Dan_, wouldn't want to give you another ugly scar, huh?" She teases, but her eyes are almost glowing with murderous intent. I narrow my eyes. My shoulders are shaking in rage and my fingers clench.

The Programming pricks at my head, begging to be let loose. I can feel it stirring in my head: It wants to kill, it wants to rip human flesh to shreds, watch the life fade out of those pretty, unique purple eyes. My muscles stiffen to the point where it's almost painful. For the first time since I've ever escaped the GiW facility, I move aside without objection, openly handing the Programming the reins to my body.

_Go wild. _

I space out, and it settles in. I can feel the sick joy in its newfound freedom manifesting itself in the empty, detached smirk that stretches across my face.

_Threat: Weapon, Ecto-pistol, model X3009. Advised method of detainment: intangibility, ice, ecto-beams. _

Like a puppet, my body flips off the couch, rolling along the floor. I know the glass shards are digging into my skin, but the Programming soothes it away, forcing adrenalin to pump faster through my veins to compensate for the injuries. _It can't_ _hurt us, _it says. A bloodthirsty smile resonates in the words. _No one can. _

Sam immediately follows, springing off the couch like a panther, a snarl twisting her face. The programming flickers my body into intangibility, and I sink through the floor, descending into the next level. Another tingle sweeps through me as the PG makes me turn invisible. My hands rise up above my head, phasing through the ceiling, groping invisibly for-

There.

My instincts flare. I rise through the level, emerging into the room once more, right behind Sam's back. She spins to face me, throwing out a fierce punch. It smacks solidly against my palm. Like a trap, my fingers snap closed around her fist, keeping her off-balance while the other hand slaps the gun out of her hand. It clatters to the floor and skids away, spinning wildly. She grits her teeth and almost manages to land an impressive kick, but I wrench her to the side, forcing her to put the foot back down on the ground in order to keep standing. She's been taking martial arts. I slam her against the wall, hard, and summon energy to my fingertips. My hands go numb and a blue aura encases them. I freeze the fabric of her jacket and skirt to the wall, effectively rendering her immobile. I take a step back. The Programming is anxious, I can feel it. Two steps of its proposed plan are already finished. It wants to finish the job.

"How's the Programming, Dan?" She hisses through her clenched jaw. "How's it feel not being able to control your own body?"

I feel it frown. It does not like being taunted. I wish to speak to her. I gingerly push the PG out of my body. It revolts, fighting. It doesn't want to leave. It likes being in control. It likes having power. Still, I manage to gain back usage of my mouth, and I put it to good use.

"I'm going to kill you, Sam. I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully, one way or another." I can't control my face, excluding my lips, so I can't exactly accompany the words with a snarl. But the intent is conveyed easily enough.

She chuckles, shaking her head mirthfully.

"Oh, Danny. Not very hero-like of you. You really are a monster, just like we programmed you to be."

She leans forward as much as she can. "The GiW want you back, Danny." She laughs lowly, her chest shaking. "You were our favorite little test subject. Our favorite little soldier. They won't stop at anything. No matter where you go, we will find you." Silence. She tilts her head, eyes unnaturally bright. "Forgive me for being cliché, but as the saying goes: you can run, but you can't hide."

My hands glow with ecto-energy.

"Maybe not. But you can bet that I'll be taking as many of you down as I can." I mentally sit back, allowing PG to take the floor once more. It draws my arm back, readying the blast to deadly proportions.

Sam smirks playfully.

"DfPh311 lockdown initiated," she says.

Instantly, the hold PG has on my body shatters as it is forcibly repelled into the farthest corners of my mind. Extremely drained by the abrupt switch in control, my legs fold in like wet paper and I collapse to the floor. My cheek hits the strip of carpet. A fragment of glass digs into my skin.

A pair of boots walks into my blurry eyesight.

"Your programming may have been interrupted before it was finished and its original purpose downloaded," she says, idly pulling a switchblade from a pocket on her belt. She flicks the blade open and closed repeatedly, turning it over in her hands. "But do you think we were really as stupid as to forget to equip it with an off switch?"

"If you can…find me, like you…say…" I murmur, forcing my deadened lips to move. Horror pulses through my body like an incurable disease at the very thought. "Why…am I…not…"

"Back in the facility?" Se finishes. Sighing regretfully, she puts away her knife. "Unfortunately, you've made connections. You now have the Titans on your side, and they are a dangerous opponent. The GiW doesn't feel like involving them in our little, ah, altercation. So, I guess as long as they like you," she snorts, "I suppose you're untouchable."

She lightly traces my scar with the tip of her knife. An edge of steel enters her voice. "But Danny, the moment you leave their shadow, the very second they turn you out…we will take you back. And the best part? Nobody will care." I want to get up, I want to fight, but my body may as well have been a wet noodle. She taps a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Oh yeah. Agent K told me to tell you that if you tell anyone of our past clashes, or your time at the facility, we'll take you away immediately, no matter who your stupid little friends are."

So tired. I want her to go away.

Leave me alone.

Please…

She pats my cheek a couple times. It feels like I'm being shot in the face point-blank each time. She stands, smoothing out her stylish clothing. Distantly, I hear the roar of a chopper, and she delicately makes her away across the room to the empty window frame, avoiding the fallen glass. "Bye Danny. I'll be sure to tell your parents that you said hello."

She grips the edge of the frame and leaps out into space, landing safely in the interior of the hovering white helicopter. The door slides shut and it turns, flying away, leaving me lying there on the floor, broken and alone.

_**_-:;(-);:-_**_

**A/N:**

**O.O I think I have a fetish with screwing with poor Danny's head. **

**_CLOSING POLL_: Would you guys prefer if I brought in Cujo as the Titan pet or just stuck with Silkie? (Personally, I am kind of grossed out by Silkie. He's a weird little dude.)**

**Dani: Poor Danny...:'( When can I come in the story? **

**Me: (Pats Dani on head consolingly.) Patience, young padawan. **

**Oh yeah, and I am forming a weird, distorted love triangle. I think. It's a little complicated, I guess, since Danny is portrayed basically as two persons in this story so far. Don't worry, this will still be a Dann**

**Review, or I'll feed Dani sugar and turn her loose on you!**


	12. Chapter 12: John

**AN: I honestly think I'm about to cry. I finally got a new laptop. Thank God.**

**You see, dear readers, my old laptop suddenly went crazy and broke itself, so I, the helpless victim of the situation, was unable to write anything for MONTHS. (If my writing seems a little rusty, that is probably why.)**

**The amount of reviews I received for last chapter still amazes me. I can't possibly thank all of you enough. Actually, now that I think about it, I seem to recall a few people nitpicking at things in the last chapter, but I could care less. **

**May I remind you all that this story is modeled after the Teen Titans episodes, so of course it's going to be unrealistic and TOO dramatic. I don't know about you guys, but personally, a story with a bunch of filler chapter wouldn't cut it for me. **

**Which brings me to another thing: THERE WILL BE SHORTER CHAPTERS FROM NOW ON. The huge ones take forever to spit out and edit. These are much more easy to construct. I hope you all don't mind. I mean, shorter updates, woohoo, right? **

**My sincerest apologies for the wait, but enjoy!**

Haunted Memories

Chapter 12

By: Dreams2Paper11

**00000-Two Weeks Later-00000**

I like my room.

It's elegantly simplistic and unassuming. Nice and quiet too. I asked Robin if they could make it soundproof while they were completing the last finishing touches. He looked at me weirdly, but complied anyway. So now I don't disturb anyone when I wake up screaming my throat raw from nightmares, which is a good thing.

The room is medium sized. Not excessively large or too cramped. It's perfect. They offered to give me a room with a glass wall, so I could see the bay, but I declined. After the Blackfire-probe fiasco? No thanks. I'll stay as far away from windows as I can, thank you very much.

Starfire asked me what my favorite colors were so they could paint my room. It was hard to choose. I was stuck between green, blue, or tan. After a couple days of my deliberation, Cyborg got fed up and crossly offered to just paint it creamy white.

You can guess that I said no immediately, right?

Eventually, we decided, and here I am, in my golden-tinged tan room. There is not one white thing in it. The carpeting is the same color as the walls, perhaps a shade lighter, and the blankets and pillowcases are obsidian black. I think the bed is my favorite part. It's shaped like an oval and about two feet off the ground. I never had a bed that shape before. I'm not even sure how they found the peculiar mattress. Specifically tailored? Custom-made? I asked the price, but they refused to tell me.

A sleek, light brown desk stands to the left of my bed, pushed against the wall next to the door. So far, all that's in it are a couple notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, folders, and post-it notes. I feel like I'm fourteen again, stocking up for the beginning of school.

One dark dresser looms next to the desk. It's nearly bursting with clothes. I asked specifically for maybe two long-sleeved shirts and jeans. They got me a couple long-sleeved plaid shirts, some socks, underwear (that was embarrassing!), a pair of black fingerless gloves (Raven liked those) and a black and gray beanie (I love that. I wear it all the time, even when inside. Apparently Robin picked it out.) It's strange. I haven't had anything completely new in years. I'd forgotten what it was like, getting gifts. I'll admit it. I almost teared up a little when the team proudly showed me my room and the clothes. It felt weird getting something beneficial.

So, where am I now?

Curled up on my bed, huddled underneath the covers. I'm borrowing Cyborg's earbuds and his tricked out, Cyborg'ified Ipod, listening to _So Cold _by Ben Cocks. Sad music for a brooding teen. Fitting.

Someone knocks on my door hesitantly. I wince, curling up tighter. _Go away. Go away._

"Hey, Danny? You in there?"

I suppress a sigh and sit up, the thick comforters peeling off my frame. I tiredly rake a hand through my hair, giving myself even wilder bedhead.

I take a moment to reconstruct my face into a believable grin as I pad across the room, my socked feet sinking deeply in the plush carpet. I punch the button and allow the doors to open, that sparkling grin still stretched across my face. I should get an Oscar award.

Robin unceremoniously grabs my shoulder and pulls me out of my room. I let out a startled noise, instinctually tugging away. He pulls harder and I am forced to stumble after him.

Irritated, now. The grin fades and my eyebrow twitches.

"What are you doing?" I ask in a deadpan, digging my heels into the ground. If he thinks I'll make this any easier for him, then he doesn't know me at all…

"Getting you out of your cave. Come on, you've been sulking ever since the Blackfire thing." That's Robin, business as always. I yank his arm, spinning him around to face me.

"I do not sulk!" I protest indignantly. "I… um… brood."

I'd bet a thousand dollars that Robin rolled his eyes at that statement.

"_Yeeeaaaaaah_. Whatever. Come on, I got pizza."

That piques my interest. "With extra cheese and pepperoni?"

He smirks. "There's no other way."

When we get to the main room, everyone looks up as I enter, looking surprised. They've got a right to be, I suppose. I've been more of an introvert than Raven lately, after the visit from _her_. I'm grateful beyond words that they didn't push the issue.

It went down like this: I was slipping into a downward spiral, fast, but I knew I had to switch places with my duplicate before the Titans found two Danny's in the tower, I forced myself into action and melted the ice crystals clinging on the wall, then healed the cuts on my body from the glass shards, all the while somehow managing to keep my mind carefully blank. I hid myself in a bathroom, where I waited for my duplicate and the Titans to arrive. When they did, I had my doppelganger excuse himself to the hallway. The very second the door slammed shut, the duplicate collapsed and dissolved in a whirl of jade smoke. The mist rushed into my body as I re-absorbed the temporarily displaced energy. Then I stumbled through the tower, struggling to find an empty room as my sanity withered. On the very top floor, I found an empty room. It was nice; cozy and dark. Very Spartan. I dragged the plain blankets off the bed and threw them to the floor, falling into the tangled nest a second later. I grabbed a fistful of the soft cotton and buried my face into it. I opened my mouth, shut my eyes, inhaled deeply, and _screamed_. My body went rigid and tears finally made an appearance as I hid my face in the reassuring folds, my mouth still rigidly formed into an 'o.' The frightful noise churned in my stomach, ripped its way through my heart, worked its way up my throat until it reached my forced-apart jaws. It scared me. Even _I_ didn't know that I was capable of producing such a sound.

I stuffed a fistful of the blankets in my mouth, gagging myself slightly and accidentally choking. The slightly muffled scream rose in pitch, hurting my ears, vibrating deeply in my chest. It was as if I had mixed together every ounce of pain in my life and injected it into the awful sound pouring from my throat.

By accident, I started to feed energy into it, and a green glow emerged from the back of my mouth. Small, pulsating green rings began to thrum through the air. I forced my teeth to clench shut, halting the energy flow, and turned the scream into a deep, agonized moan, bucking my body wildly in the sheets as I gnashed my teeth and pulled at my hair like some crazed animal. Cold tears dripped steadily down my cheeks. My lips quivered uncontrollably from the effort of keeping that horrible scream contained.

I'm not sure how long I stayed like that.

Time passed, at least a couple hours, I think, before I had exhausted myself and sunk into a blurry haze of nightmares mixed with flashbacks.

The Titans had no idea what had transpired in that dark, small room that grisly night. They still don't. How could they? I was levels and levels above them. Not even Beast Boy's keen sense of hearing could have picked up my wail.

I'd woken up the next day with dried tears on my face and my throat practically torn to shreds. Clumps of hair that I'd pulled out in my frenzy lay scattered all around me, some individual strands clinging to my clothes. There were scratches in my scalp from where I'd dug my nails into my skull. My nails themselves were crusted with dried, congealed blood. The other superfluous wounds that decorated my body had already healed, of course, but the clotted blood remained behind. My eyes still stung from the sudden expulse of salty tears. I hadn't cried that much in months.

I'm not proud to admit it, but some rather morbid thoughts crossed my mind while I lay in that room. I questioned my existence, repeating how I was tired of it all. So tired. I'm thankful that there was no sharp object in the room with me, or I fear my story would have ended in quite an abrupt way. As it was, when the pity-fest leeched away, I was too exhausted from my fit to drag myself out of the room. I didn't really care, though.

Numbness is both a blessing and a curse. It dulls the suffering, but, in doing so, silences the need to move away from the pain.

After spending a day curled up in my fluffy nest of blankets in the dark enclosure, I managed to drag myself out of there. I was a mess. I looked like a zombie. I didn't think it was possible for bags that dark to form under one's eyes.

I cleaned myself up in the bathroom, after I had thrown up everything I had eaten in the past few days. The stomach acid burned my ripped throat like crazy. I flushed the toilet, wiped my mouth, and got to work. I washed the blood out of my hair and clothes as best as I could, turning them intangible to shed the water over the dip in the floor with the shower drain. I brushed my teeth, stained red from where I had somehow managed to burst blood vessels in my gums. I even smeared some of Starfire's liquid concealer (shut up. I can hear you laughing, cruel reader) under my eyes, mostly covering the sags. I combed out my tangled hair, washed my hands of the crimson blood, and clipped my nails over the trashcan, seeing as prying the dried-blood-mess out from underneath them was a lost cause. I practiced my smile in the mirror until it resembled at least something more than a twisted grimace, then headed to the Main Ops room to rejoin society.

I don't blame the Titans for not looking for me. None of us spent every single second together as one great big happy family. Usually, we met up at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and maybe in between. Other than that, we usually kept to our own devices. Not surprising. All things considering, this team was still pretty new, even before I had sort of joined. So, while a little strange, it wasn't entirely uncommon for one of us to miss a couple of meals or something.

That was two weeks ago.

Now, I am sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, hunched over, with a cup of fruit punch grasped tightly in my hand. I know my bedhead is probably wild at this moment, and I hadn't showered in a week, and I have a severe case of morning breath, but I could care less. I sipped my chilled drink slowly, tracing the marble swirls in the counter, bleary eyes at half-mast.

The Main Ops room is nice and quiet. I can tell the others are keeping a close eye on me, but I feign indifference.

_Nothing's wrong._

I tilt my head back, draining the cup noisily.

_Everything's perfectly fine._

I wipe my mouth and toss the cup in the sink.

_**I'm **perfectly fine._

"Dude, we got pizza. Robin even bought me one with soy cheese!" Beast Boy absently waves a large slice in front of my face as he talks, a trail of melted cheese hanging from the triangular food's tip, swinging perilously with each motion. I lean forward and scoop it up with my tongue, sucking it into my mouth, along with the entire slice. Grinning tiredly, I lean back, chewing mightily, as Beast Boy gapes at me. His eyes flick from his vacant hand to the folded up piece of pizza sticking out of my lips.

"That was mine!"

"I dwind't fwee yur nwame wonit."

"What?"

I swallow the mouthful. "I didn't see your name on it."

He seethes, an adorable pout tugging at his lips. I listen as the others hovering in the background give some sort of relieved sigh, thinking that I'm honestly fine. I don't bother to correct their misguided view.

The rest of the morning was a bit like a wake-up call for me. The alarm rang, and we headed out of the Tower to the occurring crime scene. I didn't bother to raise my hood. The GiW already know where I am, so no point in hiding myself any longer.

The crooks robbing the bank were pathetically easy to take care of. Honestly, only one of us really had to go. I froze one of the robbers to the floor, Raven teleported the other into a nice, cozy jail cell, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg swept the rest of the bank looking for any stragglers, and Robin swiftly deactivated the bomb that would have taken out half the city.

So, nothing major.

Yet, as we were all relaxing on a park bench, eating ice cream, (the poor vendor lady. I think she had a heart attack when Beast Boy showed up.) Robin kept frowning, staring pensively at the vanilla cone in his hand.

"It just doesn't add up," he mutters, half to himself. "How would a couple of low-life thugs get their hands on a bomb with that much potential power?"

I shrug, reclining back on the bench as a delicate summer breeze caresses my face. "Maybe they stole it from someone?"

Robin shakes his head. "No… whoever made that bomb was smart. Took me nearly three minutes to decode the security lock on it. Do you really think those bandits could have snagged this from someone that intelligent?"

I rotate the chocolate twist ice cream in my hand, watching as it begins to drip over the sides of the sugar cone. "I don't know. You think it has something to do with this Slade guy?"

Robin tenses noticeably, his masked eyes narrowing. "Perhaps. I won't rule him out just yet, but the only thing the interrogation with the HIVE revealed about their employer was his name."

"And his ability to manipulate others behind the scenes," I add, catching the trickle of melted ice cream on my tongue. Robin nods in acknowledgement, popping the last bit of his treat into his mouth.

"We should get back to the Tower. I've got paperwork to do, and _some_ of us…" he looks at me. I smirk in return, looking away. "…have been skipping out on our training sessions."

"I'll join you all in a hour or so," I tell them as we trek to the T-Car. Robin scoffs and rolls his eyes behind his mask, but I ignore him effortlessly. I'm getting rather good at it. "I've wanted to look around the town some, see the shops and all."

Now that I don't necessarily have to skulk in the shadows, I'm not bound by the same restrictions as before. Yeah, the GiW know I'm here. But as long as the Titans and I are… friends… they are powerless to do anything.

The thought makes me smile.

As they drive away, I head for the bookstore I had found days ago, when that rude chick practically threw herself on me. There's little chance that she's there at this exact moment, and besides, I don't think she'd want to talk to me again even if she is there.

It's a busy day in Jump. Reporters are now buzzing around the crime scene, snapping pictures like there's no tomorrow. Small clusters of reporters are huddled next to the bright caution tape, cross-referencing their facts and jotting down quick notes. The loud talk and incessant clicks from the cameras make me uncomfortable. After all, I only wasted a few good years of my life running from the media.

With my plain, dark gray hoodie thrown up, I am nigh invisible, and I make use of that to slip past the crowds. As a result of the wannabe robbery, the Barnes and Noble is pretty much empty. The poor cashier looks like he might fall asleep any moment. My eyes stray to the unguarded cashier on his sagging left side, and my old mindset kicks in, calculating how much money I'd be able to take without anyone noticing. With my abilities, probably the whole dang machine.

I instantly go to the fantasy aisle, grabbing the first book that caught my attention, and carry it to an unoccupied plush armchair placed in a small, shaded corner.

The book immediately kicks off with an action-packed prologue, and I find myself drawn in almost without my consent, my eyes scanning the words hungrily. The authoress is very descriptive and wields her talent with the skill of a hardened superhero. Like Batman, or something. I smirk slightly, flipping the page.

Yes. This authoress is comparable to Batman. Definitely.

"Good story?"

I manage to conceal my start of surprise, lowering the book slowly.

"Yes," I reply absently, my eyes zeroing in on the speaker. "I like action plots."

The man is stunningly tall, his musculature defined to the point of near grotesqueness. His hair is white, slightly shaggy, and eyebrows of the same color adorn his heavy brows. His broad chin is decorated with a very cool goatee. His left eye is steel gray, with hints of blue, and very, very dark and intelligent. Stunningly clever. A black eyepatch hides his right eye. He is dressed simply; a white T-shirt that might have been baggy on him if it weren't for his musculature, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black shoes.

He settles himself into the chair next to me, his movements like liquid grace, the type that only comes from years of martial arts or years of ballet dancing. The eyepatch clues me in that it's most likely the former. Unless ballet dancing suddenly involves sharp pointed objects that can gouge out one's eye. I restrain a small laugh at the mental image.

"Well," he says, setting something on his lap. His voice is rich, smooth, and deep. I can almost feel his vocal cords vibrating in his barrel chest. "I have a book of my own that I'm quite immersed in." As my eyes fall on the said book, I arch a brow in surprise. He's holding the same book that I myself had been perusing the last time I was here—the one about ancient Chinese myths or something. Or was it Japanese? Hm. I can't remember.

My eyes slide back to his face, a nagging sense of familiarity tugging at me. He's not a GiW agent, or if he is, he's not one I've met before. He's definitely not a Titan. And we—the team, I mean, hasn't even fought a villain that looked remotely like him. So why do I—ah. That's it.

"You're the man I bumped into during my last visit here, aren't you?" I ask tentatively, thinking how embarrassed and awkward this will be if I'm wrong. I remember how I rudely knocked into him with my shoulder and didn't even bother to pick up the fallen book. Woops.

He gives a short, charming laugh. "Well, it's nice to see that you remember me. I myself was coming back to look for more books like this"—he holds it up for emphasis—"but I haven't had much luck. Any suggestions?"

His tone is warm, friendly, even. I find myself questioning why such an authoritative figure is bothering to speak with a scruffy teenager. I give him a small lopsided smile, shrugging cluelessly. Might as well slip on the "charming Danny" mask.

"Sorry sir, but I only stumbled upon that particular book by accident. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much use in a search. I mean, I'm still not that sure about where the bathroom is in this place."

He laughs shortly, shaking his head. "Ah, you discredit yourself. I can tell by looking at you that you're a smart young man."

Hm. Perceptive, too. I inconspicuously tug my sleeves lower. The hems already reach up to the middle part of my fingers, but I don't want to take any chances of accidentally flashing him a sight of an old scar.

I give a mock bow. "You are too kind, sir. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

He smirks. "I never gave it."

Well fine, if he wants to be like that. I'll play along.

"No no, I'm sure you did. I think you said your name was Sue or Mary or something like that."

His smirk widens. "How cheeky. Very well, Brittany, two can play at that game."

I stutter, my face growing hot, my eyebrows arching in shock. It's been a while since someone has appreciated my sarcasm, and even rolled with it, not to mention turning it back on me. I muster up the scraps of my dignity and retort, "My name is not Brittany!" _Think, think. _"It's Michael."

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Michael." He shakes my hand. His grip is crushing. Even I wince at its strength and carefully extract my fragile fingers before they're mangled beyond repair.

"Same to you, Mr…?"

He shakes his head, amused. "A valiant attempt, but you should work on your subtlety. You can call me John for now." I tip my head, genuinely bemused.

"Why the alias? Something to hide?"

His sharp gray eye assesses me once again. I feel laid out beneath its heavy stare. "No," he replies at last, lounging back in his chair. "I just think it's amusing watching you struggle to discover my identity."

"Sadist," I mutter, relaxing slightly. He chuckles slightly.

"No, a sadist enjoys causing pain. And unless I am hurting you in some way, I doubt that the meaning applies to myself."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night."

He shrugs his massive shoulders. The informal action seems strange when performed by him. "Honestly, I don't sleep much. I'm usually training."

Now _that _catches my attention fully. It would explain his definition and grace. "You train? What fighting style do you specialize in?"

"Too many to recount, unless you have a few hours." Coming from any other person, this would have sounded arrogant, but I can hear the confidence behind his words, and my growing respect for him climbs a few notches on the totem pole.

"Why the interest in fighting?" I ask, feeling intrigued, not taking my gaze off him as I set my book on the small table.

"I believe everyone should know how to defend themselves properly. I suppose it eventually became more of a personal interest to me than a simple hobby."

He learned to fight because it interested him? I know from experience that attaining such a high level of skill takes time, effort, and dedication. Respect: still growing.

"Cool. Are you a fitness instructor then, or something like that?"

He reflects, taking a bit of time to answer. "Something like that, I suppose. I've taken on a few pupils now and then, but none of them really excelled. It was then that I promised myself that I would only teach someone who had the potential to become something great."

I grin. "I suppose you have high standards, then."

He looks at me. "Perhaps. What about you? You seem like a fit, healthy teen. Shouldn't you be messing around with some blockheaded idiots and spraypainting a wall somewhere?"

I am surprised by the smooth, nearly undetectable deflection of the conversation. He _is_ good at subtlety. I smirk again, shaking my head like a mother at a misbehaving child.

"Ah ah ah, I caught that, oh revered Mr. Subtlety. Very smooth."

He almost seems caught off guard, but that swiftly morphs into a pleased look. "Well observed. I didn't expect for a teenager to catch that. Usually the youth of today are rampaging through the mall or doing some other such nonsense."

"Yeah, well…" I halt myself, fumbling. "Dang. You are the master of subtlety."

He laughs, opening his mouth to reply when the T-communicator beeps, vibrating loudly. I mutter an expletive and shift so that my body blocks the view of my pocket.

"I'm sorry, but I need to take this. It's kind of important."

He waves a hand, already opening his book and skimming the page. "Not at all. Take your time."

I wait until I am three aisles from him before I pick up the call, feeling cross. I finally find somebody who I don't mind talking with, and of _course_ the Titans need me when we start to get into a good conversation.

"What. is. It?" I grind out, managing to keep my voice to a low hiss. Beast Boy's face fills the screen, a beaming grin taking up more than half his face.

"Dude! What's up? Can you get back to the Tower? Like, now?"

Despite my initial annoyance, I start to become concerned. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_? What's wrong is that I'm about to pull the biggest prank ever on Cyborg and you're not here to cackle in evil enjoyment with me!"

What. The. Crap.

"Beast Boy, I do have a life." _Sort of. _"I'm busy!"

He looks crestfallen. "Aw, please?" He droops his eyelids and arches his brows to form what is quite possibly the most adorable puppy dog look on the planet. I look at him, debating...

"Nope. Be sure to record it for me, though."

I smirk, snapping the lid shut and thus ending the call, slipping the communicator back in my hoodie's pocket. Honestly. What does he think I am, a tag-along audience? Still though, I hope he records it. That'll be hilarious.

A flash of his heartbroken face flits across my vision and I close my eyes, already feeling guilty. I mouth another curse and tilt my head against the shelf, sighing. Butter biscuits. I'm gonna have to go watch his dumb prank now to ease my trouble mind.

"Everything all right?" The voice is nearly right in my ear and I stifle a yelp, whirling and immediately punching towards the sound of the speaker. My eyes widen in horror even as my fist flies. Butter biscuits times infinity. I'm about to break someone's nose, or even their face—

John catches my fist solidly in his open palm before it even comes close to him. He gives me a measured, calculating look and glances at my still-clenched fingers.

"Good form, but your technique could use a little embellishment." He smirks amusedly. "I don't think it would be prudent to punch everyone that attempts to speak to you while you're engaged in your thoughts."

I'm so red right now, someone could cook an egg on my face. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

He unexpectedly lets my fist go. I let the arm drop to my side limply.

"It's quite all right. You seem like you have experience in martial arts. If you'd like, I could give you some pointers in the future."

Too flustered to argue, and feeling bad that I might have broken one of his ribs if it weren't for his insane reflexes, I agree immediately, and a genuine smile hovers at the corners of his lips.

"Wonderful. Here's my address." A plain white card is slipped into my head. "I hope to see you soon."

And then, as quickly as he came, he's gone.

I blink a couple times, squeezing the card in my hands to reassure myself that the whole encounter wasn't a daydream. That guy is _good_. Like, scary ninja good. Without hesitating, I put the slip into my pocket, heading for the exit.

Maybe I'll take him up on his offer. I smirk, remembering our banter. At least it would give me an opportunity to discover his real name.

**0000000000**

**If you don't know who John is, that's kind of sad. No, his real name is not John. No, he is not an OC. Yes, he was OOC, but he's incognito, people! Besides, I think he would be a very good actor. ;3 **

**If you didn't tell me in a review, don't forget! CUJO OR SILKY?**

**So, review? I still can't believe how many of you like this story!**

**Oh, and MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS TO ALL YOU PEEPS! THIS IS A PROMISE! I SWEAR BEFORE THE LORD ALMIGHTY THAT I WILL UPDATE BEFORE CHRISTMAS! **


	13. Chapter 13: UPDATE

**Hey peeps. No, this is not a chapter, but-WAIT! DON'T EXIT! I BRING GOOD/BAD TIDINGS!**

**Okay, so, I just got a Wacom art tablet today. So I spent all day learning how to paint and do stuff. (Still don't understand half of it. ;_;)**

**BUT! **

**Just for you guys, I made myself a new deviantart (Name: Dreams2Paper11)**

**And uploaded some of my fanart for this story! (Lol, its really bad, but I thought you all might like to see it.)**

**CHAPTER UPDATE:**

**Okay, so, I ran into a few life problems. SERIOUSNESS STARTS HERE. **

**My grandma passed away half a week ago. (Everyone around me is dying. D'''''':)**

**I'm really sorry about the delay, but life sucks right now, you know? (No, I am not suicidal. Thank you for thinking that, reader. -_-)**

**I'll try to upload that chapter in a few days. Just kinda hard to scrape together my motivation right now. **

**Sorry. **


	14. UPDATE 2

**THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE. DO NOT CLOSE OUT YET, I BRING GOOD/BAD NEWS!**

**Haunted Memories is done. **

**Haunted Memories, the REDUX, however, is now in session. **

**I've explained everything more in-depth in the new posted version. Go check it out. **


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